• 


"He  read  the  note  again,  word  by  word,  and  finally  thrust  it  into 
his  pocket."  .  .  . 

"'Who  dares  to  pry  into  my  secrets?'  demanded  the  youno-  sailor 
fiercely,"  etc.— The  Water -Witch,  page  50. 


THE 


WATER-WITCH 


BY 

J.    FENIMORE   COOPER 

AUTHOR     OF 

'THE  LAST  OF  THE  MOHICANS,"  "THE  DEERSLAYER,"  "THE  PATH- 

FINDER,"    "THE    PIONEERS,"    "THE     PRAIRIE,"    "THE    PlLOT," 

"  THE  RED  ROVER,"  "THE  Two  ADMIRALS,"  ETC.,  ETC. 


CHICAGO   AND   NEW  YORK: 
BELFORD,  CLARKE   &   COMPANY, 

PUBLISHERS. 


• 


TROWS 

BOOKBINDING  COMPANY, 
SEW  YORK. 


THE  WATER-WITCH 


CHAPTER    I. 

What,  shall  this  speech  be  spoke  for  our  excuse  ? 
Or  shall  we  on  without  apology  ? — Romeo  and  Juliet. 

THE  fine  estuary  which  penetrates  the  American  coast 
between  the  fortieth  and  forty-first  degrees  of  latitude,  is 
formed  by  the  confluence  of  the  Hudson,  the  Hackensack, 
the  Passaic,  the  Raritan,  and  a  multitude  of  smaller  streams, 
all  of  which  pour  their  tribute  into  the  .ocean  within  the 
space  named.  The  islands  of  Nassau  and  Staten  are  hap 
pily  placed  to  exclude  the  tempests  of  the  open  sea,  while 
the  deep  and  broad  arms  of  the  latter  offer  every  desirable 
facility  for  foreign  trade  and  internal  intercourse.  To 
this  fortunate  disposition  of  land  and  water,  with  a  tem 
perate  climate,  a  central  position,  and  an  immense  interior 
that  is  now  penetrated  in  every  direction  either  by  artificial 
or  by  natural  streams,  the  city  of  New  York  is  indebted 
for  its  extraordinary  prosperity.  Though  not  wanting  in 
beauty,  there  are  many  bays  that  surpass  this  in  the 
charms  of  scenery  ;  but  it  may  be  questioned  if  the  world 
possesses  another  site  that  unites  so  many  natural  advan 
tages  for  the  growth  and  support  of  a  widely-extended 
commerce.  As  if  never  wearied  with  her  kindness,  Nature 
has  placed  the  Island  of  Manhattan  at  the  precise  point 
that  is  the  most  desirable  for  the  position  of  a  town.  Mill 
ions  might  inhabit  the  spot,  and  yet  a  ship  should  load 
near  every  door  ;  and  while  the  surface  of  the  land  just 
possesses  the  inequalities  that  are  required  for  health  and 
cleanliness,  its  bosom  is  filled  with  the  material  most 
needed  in  construction. 

The  consequences  of  so  unusual  a  concurrence  of  favor 
able  circumstances  are  well  known.  A  vigorous,  healthful, 
and  continued  growth,  that  has  no  parallel  even  in  the  his- 


4  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

tory  of  this  extraordinary  and  fortunate  country, has  already 
raised  the  insignificant  provincial  town  of  the  last  century 
to  the  level  of  the  second-rate  cities  of  the  other  hemi 
sphere.  The  New  Amsterdam  of  this  continent  already 
rivals  its  parent  of  the  other  ;  and,  so  far  as  human  pow 
ers  may  pretend  to  predict,  a  few  fleeting  years  will  place 
her  on  a  level  with  the  proudest  capitals  of  Europe. 

It  would  seem  that,  as  Nature  has  given  its  periods  to 
the  stages  of  animal  life,  it  has  also  set  limits  to  all  moral 
and  political  ascendency.  While  the  city  of  the  Medici  is 
receding  from  its  crumbling  walls,  like  the  human  form 
shrinking  into  "  the  lean  and  slippered  pantaloon,"  the 
Queen  of  the  Adriatic  sleeping  on  her  muddy  isles,  and 
Rome  itself  is  only  to  be  traced  by  fallen  temples  and 
buried  columns,  the  youthful  vigor  of  America  is  fast 
covering  the  wilds  of  the  West  with  the  happiest  fruits  of 
human  industry. 

By  the  Manhattanese  who  is  familiar  with  the  forest  of 
masts,  the  miles  of  wharves,  the  countless  villas,  the  hun 
dred  churches,  the  castles,  the  smoking  and  busy  vessels 
that  crowd  his  bay,  the  daily  increase  and  the  general 
movement  of  his  native  town,  the  picture  we  are  about  to 
sketch  will  scarcely  be  recognized.  He  who  shall  come  a 
generation  later  will  probably  smile,  that  subject  of  ad 
miration  should  have  been  found  in  the  existing  condition 
of  the  city  ;  and  yet  wTe  shall  attempt  to  carry  the  recol 
lections  of  the  reader  but  a  century  back  in  the  brief 
history  of  his  country. 

As  the  sun  rose  on  the  morning  of  the  3d  of  June,  171-, 
the  report  of  a  cannon  was  heard  rolling  along  the  waters 
of  the  Hudson.  Smoke  issued  from  an  embrasure  of  a 
small  fortress,  that  stood  on  the  point  of  land  where  the 
river  and  bay  mingle  their  waters.  The  explosion  was  fol 
lowed  by  the  appearance  of  a  flag,  which,  as  it  rose  to  the 
summit  of  its  staff  and  unfolded  itself  heavily  in  the  light 
current  of  air,  showed  the  blue  field  and  the  red  cross  of 
the  English  ensign. 

At  the  distance  of  several  miles,  the  dark  masts  of  a 
ship  were  to  be  seen,  faintly  relieved  by  the  verdant  back 
ground  of  the  heights  of  Staten  Island.  A  little  cloud 
floated  over  this  object,  and  then  an  answering  signal  came 
dull  and  rumbling  to  the  town.  The  flag  that  the  cruiser 
set  was  not  visible  in  the  distance. 

At  the  precise   moment  that  the  noise  of  the  first  gun 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  5 

was  heard,  the  door  of  one  of  the  principal  dwellings  of 
the  town  opened,  and  a  man,  who  might  have  been  its  mas 
ter,  appeared  on  its  stoop,  as  the  ill-arranged  entrances  of 
the  buildings  of  the  place  are  still  termed.  He  was  seem 
ingly  prepared  for  some  expedition  that  was  likely  to  con 
sume  the  day.  A  black  of  middle  age  followed  the  burgher 
to  the  threshold ;  and  another  negro,  who  had  not  yet 
reached  the  stature  of  manhood,  bore  under  his  arm  a 
small  bundle,  that  probably  contained  articles  of  the  first 
necessity  to  the  comfort  of  his  master. 

"Thrift,  Mr.  Euclid,  thrift  is  your  true  philosopher's 
stone,"  commenced,  or  rather  continued,  in  a  rich,  full- 
mouthed  Dutch,  the  proprietor  of  the  dwelling,  who  had 
evidently  been  giving  a  leave-taking  charge  to  his  princi 
pal  slave,  before  quitting  the  house  ;  "  thrift  hath  made 
many  a  man  rich,  but  it  never  yet  brought  any  one  to  want. 
It  is  thrift  which  has  built  up  the  credit  of  my  house,  and 
though  it  is  said  by  myself,  a  broader  back  and  firmer  base 
belong  to  no  merchant  in  the  colonies.  You  are  but  the 
reflection  of  your  master's  prosperity,  you  rogue  and  so 
much  the  greater  need  that  you  look  to  his  interests.  If 
the  substance  is  wasted,  what  will  become  of  the  shadow? 
When  I  get  delicate  you  will  sicken  ;  when  I  am  a-hungered, 
you  will  be  famished  ;  when  I  die,  you  may  be — ahem — 
Euclid,  I  leave  thee  in  charge  with  goods  and  chattels, 
house  and  stable,  with  my  character  in  the  neighborhood. 
I  am  going  to  the  Lust  in  Rust,  for  a  mouthful  of  better 
air.  Plague  and  fevers  !  I  believe  the  people  will  con 
tinue  to  come  into  this  crowded  town,  until  it  gets  to  be  as 
pestilent  as  Rotterdam  in  the  dog  days.  You  have  now 
come  to  years  when  a  man  obtains  his  reflection,  boy,  and 
I  expect  suitable  care  and  discretion  about  the  premises 
while  my  back  is  turned.  Now,  harkee,  sirrah  :  I  am  not 
entirely  pleased  with  the  character  of  thy  company.  It  is 
not  altogether  as  respectable  as  becomes  the  confidential 
servant  of  a  man  of  a  certain  station  in  the  world.  There 
are  thy  two  cousins,  Brom  and  Kobus,  who  are  no  better 
than  a  couple  of  blackguards  ;  and  as  for  the  English 
negro,  Diomede — he  is  a  devil's  imp  !  Thou  hast  the  other 
locks  at  disposal,  and  " — drawing  with  visible  reluctance 
the  instrument  from  his  pocket — "  here  is  the  key  of  the 
stable.  Not  a  hoof  is  to  quit  it,  but  to  go  to  the  pump  ; 
and  see  that  each  animal  has  its  food  to  a  minute.  The 
devil's  roysterers !  a  Manhattan  negro  takes  a  Flemish 


fi  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

gelding  for  a  gaunt  hound  that  is  never  out  of  breath,  and 
away  he  goes  at  night,  scampering  along  the  highways  like 
a  Yankee  witch  switching  through  the  air  on  a  broomstick  ; 
but  mark  me,  Master  Euclid,  I  have  eyes  in  my  head,  as 
thou  knowest  by  bitter  experience !  De'ye  remember, 
ragamuffin,  the  time  when  I  saw  thee,  from  the  Hague, 
riding  the  beasts,  as  if  the  devil  spurred  them,  along  the 
dyke  of  Leyden,  without  remorse  as  without  leave?" 

"  I  alway  b'rieve  some  make-mischief  tell  massa  dat 
time,"  returned  the  negro  sulkily,  though  not  without 
doubt. 

"  His  own  eyes  were  the  tell-tales.  If  masters  had  no 
eyes,  a  pretty  world  would  the  negroes  make  of  it !  I  have 
got  the  measure  of  every  black  heel  on  the  island  registered 
in  the  big  book  you  see  me  so  often  looking  into,  especially 
on  Sundays  ;  and,  if  either  of  the  tire-legs  I  have  named 
dares  to  enter  my  grounds,  let  him  expect  to  pay  a  visit  to 
the  city  provost.  What  do  the  wildcats  mean  ?  Do  they 
think  that  the  geldings  were  bought  in  Holland,  with 
charges  for  breaking  in,  shipment,  insurance,  freight,  and 
risk  of  diseases,  to  have  their  flesh  melted  from  their  ribs 
like  a  cook's  candle  !" 

"  Ere  no'tin'  done  in  all  'e  island,  but  a  color1  man  do 
him  !  He  do  a  mischief,  and  he  do  all  a  work,  too  !  I 
won'er  what  color  massa  t'ink  war  Captain  Kidd  ?" 

"  Black  or  white,  he  was  a  rank  rogue  ;  and  you  see  the 
end  he  came  to.  I  warrant  you,  now,  that  water-thief 
began  his  iniquities  by  riding  the  neighbors'  horses  at 
night.  His  fate  should  be  a  warning  to  every  nigger  in 
the  colony.  The  imps  of  darkness  !  The  English  have  no 
such  scarcity  of  rogues  at  home,  that  they  could  not  spare 
us  the  pirate  to  hang  up  on  one  of  the  islands,  as  a  scare 
crow  to  the  Blacks  of  Manhattan." 

"Well,  I  t'ink  'e  sight  do  a  white  man  some  good,  too," 
returned  Euclid,  who  had  all  the  pertinacity  of  a  spoiled 
Dutch  negro,  singularly  blended  with  affection  for  him  in 
whose  service  he  had  been  born.  "  I  hear  ebberybody  say, 
'ere  war'  but  two  color'  man  in  he  ship,  an  'em  both  war' 
Guinea-born." 

"  A  modest  tongue,  thou  midnight  scamperer !  look  to 
my  geldings.  Here — here  are  two  Dutch  florins,  three 
stivers,  and  a  Spanish  pistareen  for  thee  ;  one  of  theliorins 
is  for  thy  old  mother,  and  with  the  others  thou  canst  lighten 
thy  heart  in  the  Paus  merry-making  :  if  I  hear  that  either 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  7 

of  thy  rascally  cousins,  or  the  English  Diomede,  has  put  a 
leg  across  beast  of  mine,  it  will  be  the  worse  for  all  Africa! 
Famine  and  skeletons !  Here  have  I  been  seven  years  try 
ing  to  fatten  the  nags,  and  they  still  look  more  like  weasles 
than  a  pair  of  solid  geldings." 

The  close  of  this  speech  was  rather  muttered  in  the  dis 
tance,  and  by  way  of  soliloquy,  than  actually  administered 
to  the  namesake  of  the  great  mathematician.  The  air  of 
the  negro  had  been  a  little  equivocal  during  the  parting 
admonition.  There  was  an  evident  struggle  in  his  mind 
between  an  innate  love  of  disobedience  and  a  secret  dread 
of  his  master's  means  of  information.  So  long  as  the  latter 
continued  in  sight,  the  black  watched  his  form  in  doubt; 
and  when  it  had  turned  a  corner  he  stood  at  a  gaze  for  a 
moment,  with  a  negro  on  a  neighboring  stoop  :  then  both 
shook  their  heads  significantly,  laughed  aloud,  and  retired. 
That  night  the  confidential  servant  attended  to  the  ititer- 
ests  of  his  absent  master  with  a  fidelity  and  care  which 
proved  that  he  felt  his  own  existence  identified  with  that 
of  a  man  who  claimed  so  close  a  right  in  his  own  person  ; 
and  just  as  the  clock  struck  ten,  he  and  the  negro  last 
mentioned  mounted  the  sluggish  and  over-fattened  horses, 
and  galloped  as  hard  as  foot  could  be  laid  to  the  earth, 
several  miles  deeper  into  the  island,  to  attend  a  frolic  at 
one  of  the  usual  haunts  of  the  people  of  their  color  and 
condition. 

Had  Alderman  Myndert  Van  Beverout  suspected  the 
calamity  which  was  so  soon  to  succeed  his  absence,  it  is 
probable  that  his  mien  would  have  been  less  composed,  as 
he  pursued  his  way  from  his  own  door,  on  the  occasion 
named.  That  he  had  confidence  in  the  virtue  of  his 
menaces,  however,  may  be  inferred  from  the  tranquillity 
which  immediately  took  possession  of  features  that  were 
never  disturbed  without  wearing  an  appearance  of  un 
natural  effort.  The  substantial  burgher  was  a  little  turned 
of  fifty  ;  and  an  English  wag  who  had  imported  from  the 
mother  country  a  love  for  the  humor  of  his  nation,  had 
once,  in  a  conflict  of  wits  before  the  city  council,  described 
him  to  be  a  man  of  alliterations.  When  called  upon  to 
explain  away  this  breach  of  parliamentary  decorum,  the 
punster  had  got  rid  of  the  matter  by  describing  his  oppo 
nent  to  be  "  short,  solid,  an$i  sturdy  in  stature  ;  full,  flushed, 
and  funny  in  face  ;  and  proud,  ponderous,  and  pragmatical 
in  propensities."  But,  as  is  usual,  in  all  sayings  of  effort, 


8  THE   WATER-WITCa. 

there  was  more  smartness  than  truth  in  this  description, 
though,  after  making  a  trilling  allowance  for  the  color 
ing  of  political  rivalry,  the  reader  may  receive  its  physical 
portion  as  sufficiently  descriptive  to  answer  all  the  neces 
sary  purposes  of  this  tale.  If  we  add,  that  he  was  a  trader 
of  great  wealth  and  shrewdness,  and  a  bachelor,  we  need 
say  no  more  in  this  stage  of  the  narrative. 

Notwithstanding  the  early  hour  at  which  this  indus 
trious  and  flourishing  merchant  quitted  his  abode,  his 
movement  along  the  narrow  streets  of  his  native  town  was 
measured  and  dignified.  More  than  once  he  stopped  to 
speak  to  some  favorite  family-servant,  invariably  terminat 
ing  his  inquiries  after  the  health  of  the  master,  by  some 
facetious  observation  adapted  to  the  habits  and  capacity  of 
the  slave.  From  this  it  would  seem,  that,  while  he  had  so 
exaggerated  notions  of  domestic  discipline,  the  worthy 
bur<fher  was  far  from  being  one  who  indulged,  by  inclin 
ation,  in  the  menaces  he  has  been  heard  to  utter.  He  had 
just  dismissed  one  of  these  loitering  negroes,  when  on  turn 
ing  a  corner,  a  man  of  his  own  color,  for  the  first  time  that 
morning,  suddenly  stood  before  him.  The  startled  citizen 
made  an  involuntary  movement  to  avoid  the  unexpected 
interview,  and  then,  perceiving  the  difficulty  of  such  a  step, 
he  submitted,  with  as  good  a  grace  as  if  it  had  been  one  of 
his  own  seeking. 

"The  orb  of  day — the  morning  gun — and  Mr.  Alderman 
Van  Beverout ! "  exclaimed  the  individual  encountered. 
''Such  is  the  order  of  events,  at  this  early  hour,  on  each 
successive  revolution  of  our  earth." 

The  countenance  of  the  Alderman  had  barely  time  to 
recover  its  composure,  ere  he  was  required  to  answer  to 
this  free  and  somewhat  facetious  salutation.  Uncovering 
his  head,  he  bowed  so  ceremoniously  as  to  leave  the  other 
no  reason  to  exult  in  his  pleasantry,  as  he  answered  : 

"  The  colony  has  reason  to  regret  the  services  of  a  gover 
nor  who  can  quit  his  bed  so  soon.  That  we  of  business  habits 
stir  betimes  is  quite  in  reason  ;  but  there  are  those  in  this 
town,  who  would  scarce  believe  their  eyes,  did  they  enjoy 
my  present  happiness." 

"  Sir,  there  are  many  in  this  colony  who  have  great 
reason  to  distrust  their  senses,  though  none  can  be  mis 
taken  in  believing  they  see  in  Alderman  Van  Beverout  a 
well-employed  man.  He  that  dealeth  in  the  produce  of 
the  beaver  must  have  the  animal's  perseverance  and  fore- 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  9 

thought !  Now,  were  I  king-at-arms,  there  should  be  a  con* 
cession  made  in  thy  favor,  Myndert,  of  a  shield  bearing 
the  animal  mordant,  a  mantle  of  fur,  with  two  Mohawk 
hunters  for  supporters,  and  the  motto,  '  Industry.'  " 

"  Or  what  think  you,  my  lord,"  returned  the  other,  Avho 
did  not  more  than  half  relish  the  pleasantry  of  his  com 
panion,  "  of  a  spotless  field  for  a  clear  conscience,  with 
an  open  hand  for  a  crest,  and  the  motto,  '  Frugality  and 
Justice  ?  ' ' 

"  I  like  the  open  hand,  though  the  conceit  is  pretending. 
I  see  you  would  intimate  that  the  Van  Beverouts  have  not 
need,  at  this  late  day,  to  search  a  herald's  office  for  honors. 
I  remember,  now  I  bethink  me,  on  some  occasion  to  have 
seen  their  bearings,  a  windmill,  courant ;  dyke,  coulant  ; 
field,  vert,  sprinkled  with  black  cattle — No  !  then  memory 
is  treacherous  :  the  morning  air  is  pregnant  with  food  for 
the  imagination  !  " 

"  Which  is  not  a  coin  to  satisfy  a  creditor,  my  lord,"  said 
the  caustic  Myndert. 

u  Therein  has  truth  been  pithily  spoken.  This  is  an  ill 
judged  step,  Alderman  Van  Beverout,  that  lets  a  gentle 
man  out  by  night,  like  the  ghost  in  Hamlet,  to  flee  into  the 
narrow  house  with  the  crowing  of  the  cock.  The  ear  of 
my  royal  cousin  hath  been  poisoned,  worse  than  was  the 
ear  of  'murdered  Denmark,'  or  the  partisans  of  this  Mister 
Hunter  would  have  little  cause  to  triumph." 

"  Is  it  not  possible  to  give  such  pledges  to  those  who 
have  turned  the  key,  as  will  enable  your  lordship  to  apply 
the  antidote  ? " 

The  question  struck  a  chord  that  changed  the  whole 
manner  of  the  other.  His  air,  which  had  borne  the  char 
acter  of  a  genteel  trifler,  became  more  grave  and  dignified  ; 
and  notwithstanding  there  was  the  evidence  of  a  reckless 
disposition  in  his  features,  dress,  and  carriage,  his  tall  and 
not  ungraceful  form,  as  he  walked  slowly  onward,  by  the 
side  of  the  compact  alderman,  was  not  without  much  of 
that  insinuating  ease  and  blandishment,  which  long  famil 
iarity  with  good  company  can  give  even  to  the  lowest  moral 
worth. 

"  Your  question,  worthy  sir,  manifests  great,  goodness  of 
heart,  and  corroborates  that  reputation  for  generosity  the 
world!  so  freely  gives.  It  is  true  that  the  Queen  has  been 
persuaded  to  sign  the  mandate  of  my  recall,  and  it  is 
certain  that  Mr.  Hunter  has  the  government  of  the  colony , 


TO  THE   WATER- WITCH. 

but  these  are  facts  that  might  be  reversed,  were  I  once  in 
a  position  to  approach  my  kinswoman.  I  do  not  disclaim 
certain  indiscretions,  sir  ;  it  would  ill  become  me  to  deny 
them,  in  presence  of  one  whose  virtue  is  as  severe  as  that 
of  Alderman  Van  Beverout.  I  have  my  feelings  :  perhaps, 
as  you  have  just  been  pleased  to  intimate,  it  would  have 
been  better  had  my  motto  been  frugality  ;  but  the  open 
hand,  dear  sir,  is  a  part  of  the  design  you  will  not  deny  me, 
either.  If  I  have  weaknesses,  my  enemies  cannot  refuse 
to  say  that  I  never  yet  deserted  a  friend." 

"  Not  having  had  occasion  to  tax  your  friendship,  I  shall 
not  be  the  first  to  make  this  charge." 

"Your  impartiality  has  come  to  be  a  proverb!  '  As 
honest  as  Alderman  Van  Beverout,'  '  As  generous  as  Ald 
erman  Van  Beverout/  are  terms  in  each  man's  mouth  ; 
some  say  'as  rich'  (the  small  blue  eye  of  the  burgher 
twinkled).  But  honesty,  and  riches,  and  generosity,  are  of 
little  value  without  influence.  Men  should  have  their 
natural  consideration  in  society.  Now  is  the  colony  rather 
•Dutch  than  English,  and  yet,  you  see,  how  few  names  are 
found  in  the  list  of  the  council,  that  have  been  known  in 
the  province  half  a  century  !  Here  are  your  Alexanders 
and  Heathcotes,  your  Morrises  and  Kennedies,  De  Lanceys 
and  Livingstons,  filling  the  council  and  the  legislative 
halls  ;  but  we  find  few  of  the  Van  Rensselaers,  Van  Court- 
landts,  Van  Schuylers,  Stuyvesants,  Van  Beekmans,~and 
Van  Beverouts,  in  their  natural  stations.  All  nations  and 
religions  have  precedency,  in  the  royal  favor,  over  the 
children  of  the  Patriarchs.  The  Bohemian  Felipses  ;  the 
Huguenot  De  Lanceys,  and  Bayards  and  Jays  :  the  king- 
hating  Morrises  and  Ludlows — in  short,  all  have  greater 
estimation  in  the  eyes  of  government,  than  the  most 
ancient  Patroon  ! " 

"  This  has  long  and  truly  been  the  case.  I  cannot  re 
member  when  it  was  otherwise  !  " 

"  It  may  not  be  denied.  But  it  would  little  become  polit 
ical  discretion  to  affect  precipitancy  in  the  judgment  of 
character.  If  my  own  administration  can  be  stigmatized 
with  the  same  apparent  prejudice,  it  proves  the  clearer 
how  strong  is  misrepresentation  at  home.  Time  was 
wanting  to  enlighten  my  mind,  and  that  time  has  been  re 
fused  me.  In  another  year,  my  worthy,  sir,  the  council 
should  have  been  filled  with  Vans  ! " 

"In  such   a  case,  my  lord,  the   unhappy  condition   in 


THE  WATEWVIXCH.  11 


which  you    are  now    placed    migSfcJjSwlead i -haw '-"been 
avoided." 

"  Is  it  too  late  to  arrest  the  evil  ?  It  is  time  Anne  had 
been  undeceived,  and  her  mind  regained.  There  want- 
eth  nothing  to  such  a  consummation  of  justice,  sir,  but 
opportunity.  It  touches  me  to  the  heart,  to  think  that 
this  disgrace  should  befall  one  so  near  the  royal  blood  ! 
'Tis  a  spot  on  the  escutcheon  of  the  crown  that  all  loyal 
subjects  must  feel  desirous  to  efface,  and  so  small  an  effort 
would  effect  the  object,  too,  with  certain — Mr.  Alderman 
Myndert  Van  Beverout?" 

"  My  lord,  late  governor,"  returned  the  other  observing 
that  his  companion  hesitated. 

"What  think  you  of  this  Hanoverian  settlement?  Shall 
a  German  wear  the  crown  of  a  Plantagenet?" 

"It  hath  been  worn  by  a  Hollander." 

"Aptly  answered.  Worn,  and  worn  worthily!  There  is 
affinity  between  the  people,  and  there  is  reason  in  that  re 
ply.  How  have  I  failed  in  wisdom,  in  not  seeking  earlier 
the  aid  of  thy  advice,  excellent  sir  !  Ah,  Myndert,  there 
is  a  blessing  on  the  enterprise  of  all  who  come  of  the  Low 
Countries ! " 

"  They  are  industrious  to  earn,  and  slow  to  squander." 

"That  expenditure  is  the  run  of  many  a  worthy  sub 
ject  !  And  yet  accident — chance — fortune — or  whatever 
you  may  choose  to  call  it,  interferes  nefariously  at  times 
with  a  gentleman  prosperity.  I  am  an  adorer  of  constancy 
in  friendship,  sir,  and  hold  the  principle  that  men  should 
aid  each  other  through  this  dark  vale  of  life — Mr.  Alder 
man  Van  Beverout?" 

"  My  Lord  Cornbury  ?  " 

"  I  was  about  to  say,  that  should  I  quit  the  Province 
without  expressing  part  of  the  regret  I  feel  at  not  having 
sooner  ascertained  the  merits  of  its  original  owners,  and 
your  own  in  particular,  I  should  do  injustice  to  sensibil 
ities  that  are  only  too  acute  for  the  peace  of  him  who  en 
dures  them." 

"  Is  there  then  hope  that  your  lordship's  creditor  will 
relent,  or  has  the  earl  furnished  means  to  open  the  prison 
door?" 

"  You  use  the  pleasantest  terms,  sir  ! — but  I  love  direct 
ness  of  language  above  all  other  qualities.  No  doubt  the 
prison  door,  as  you  have  so  clearly  expressed  it,  might 
be  opened,  and  lucky  would  be  the  man  who  should  turn 


12  THE   WATER-}}' ITCH. 

the  key.  I  am  pained  when  I  think  of  the  displeasure  of 
the  Queen,  which,  sooner  or  later,  will  surely  visit  my 
luckless  persecutors.  On  the  other  hand  I  find  relief  in 
thinking  of  the  favor  she  will  extend  to  those  who  have 
proved  my  friends  in  such  a  strait.  They  that  wear  crowns 
love  not  to  see  disgrace  befall  the  meanest  of  their  blood, 
for  something  of  the  taint  may  sully  even  the  ermine  of 
Majesty.  Mr.  Alderman  ?  " 

"  My  lord?" 

"  How  fare  the  Flemish  geldings  ?" 

"Bravely,  and  many  thanks,  my  lord;  the  rogues  are 
as  fat  as  butter  !  There  is  hope  of  a  little  rest  for  the  in 
nocent,  since  business  calls  me  to  the  Lust  in  Rust. 
There  should  be  a  law,  lord  governor,  to  gibbet  the  black 
that  rides  a  beast  at  night." 

"  I  bethought  of  some  condign  punishment  for  so  heart 
less  a  crime,  but  there  is  little'hope  for  it  under  the  admin 
istration  of  this  Mr.  Hunter.  Yes,  sir,  were  I  once  more  in 
the  presence  of  my  royal  cousin,  there  would  quickly  be  an 
end  to  this  delusion,  and  the  colony  should  be  once  more  re 
stored  to  a  healthful  state.  The  men  of  a  generation  should 
cease  to  lord  it  over  the  men  of  a  century.  But  we  must 
be  wary  of  letting  our  design,  dear  sir,  get  wind  ;  it  is  a 
truly  Dutch  idea,  and  the  profits,  both  pecuniary  and  po 
litical,  should  belong  to  gentlemen  of  that  descent — my 
dear  Van  Beverout  ? " 

"My  good  lord?" 

"  Is  the  blooming  Alida  obedient  ?  Trust  me,  there  has 
no  family  event  occurred  during  my  residence  in  the  colony, 
in  which  I  have  taken  a  nearer  interest  than  in  that  desir 
able  connection.  The  wooing  of  the  young  Patroon  of 
Kinderhook  is  an  affair  of  concern  to  the  province.  It  is  a 
meritorious  "youth  !" 

"  With  an  excellent  estate,  my  lord  !  " 

"  And  a  gravity  beyond  his  years." 

"  I  would  give  a  guarantee,  at  a  risk,  that  two-thirds  of 
his  income  go  to  increase  the  capital,  at  the  beginning  of 
each  season  ? " 

"  He  seems  a  man  to  live  on  air  ! " 

"  My  old  friend,  the  last  Patroon,  left  noble  assets,"  con 
tinued  the  alderman,  rubbing  his  hands,  "  besides  the 
manor." 

"  Which  is  no  paddock  !  " 

"  It  reaches   from   the   Hudson  to  the  line  of  Massa- 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  13 

chusetts.  A  hundred  thousand  acres  of  hill  and  bottom 
and  well  peopled  by  frugal  Hollanders." 

"  Respectable  in  possession,  and  a  mine  of  gold  in  re 
version  !  Such  men,  sir,  should  be  cherished.  We  owe  it 
to  his  station  to  admit  him  to  a  share  of  this  our  project  to 
undeceive  the  queen.  How  superior  are  the  claims  of  such 
a  gentleman  to  the  empty  pretensions  of  your  Captain 
Ludlow  !" 

"  He  has  truly  a  very  good  and  improving  estate  ! " 

"These  Ludlows,  sir,  people  that  fled  the  realm  for 
plotting  against  the  crown,  are  offensive  to  a  loyal  subject. 
Indeed,  too  much  of  this  objection  may  be  imputed  to 
many  in  the  province,  that  come  of  English  blood.  I  am 
sorry  to  say  that  they  are  fomenters  of  discord,  disturbers 
of  the  public  mind,  and  captious  disputants  about  preroga 
tives  and  vested  rights.  But  there  is  a  repose  in  the  Dutch 
character  which  lends  it  dignity !  The  descendants  of  the 
Hollanders  are  men  to  be  counted  on  ;  where  we  leave 
them  to-day  we  see  them  to-morrow.  As  we  say  in  politics, 
sir,  we  know  where  to  find  them.  Does  it  not  seem  to  you 
particularly  offensive  that  this  Captain  Ludlow  should 
command  the  only  royal  cruiser  on  the  station  ?" 

"  I  should  like  it  better,  my  lord,  were  he  to  serve  in 
Europe,"  returned  the  alderman,  glancing  a  look  behind 
him,  and  lowering  his  voice.  "  There  was  lately  a  rumor 
that  his  ship  was  in  truth  to  be  sent  among  the  islands." 

"  Matters  are  getting  very  wrong,  most  worthy  sir  ;  and 
the  greater  the  necessity  there  should  be  one  at  court  to 
undeceive  the  queen.  Innovators  should  be  made  to  give 
way  to  men  whose  names  are  historical  in  the  colony." 

"'Twould  be  no  worse  for  her  Majesty's  credit." 

"'Twould  be  another  jewel  in  her  crown  !  Should  this 
Captain  Ludlow  actually  marry  your  niece,  the  family 
would  altogether  change  its  character — !  have  the  worst 
memory — thy  mother,  Myndert,  was  a — a — 

"  The  pious  woman  was  a  Van  Busser." 

"  The  union  of  thy  sister  with  the  HuguenCbt  then  re 
duces  the  fair  Alida  to  the  quality  of  a  half-blood.  The 
Ludlow  connection  would  destroy  the  leaven  of  the  race  ! 
I  think  the  man  is  penniless  !  " 

"  I  cannot  say  that,  my  lord,  for  I  would  not  willingly 
injure  the  credit  of  my  worst  enemy  ;  but,  though  wealthy, 
he  is  far  from  having  the  estate  of  the  young  Patroon  of 
Kinderhook." 


I4  THE   WATER- WITCH. 

"  He  should  indeed  be  sent  into  the  Indies — Myndert !  " 

"  My  lord  ? " 

"It  would  be  unjust  to  my  sentiments  in  favor  of  Mr. 
Oloff  Van  Staats,  were  we  to  exclude  him  from  the  ad 
vantages  of  our  project.  This  much  shall  I  exact  from 
your  friendship,  in  his  favor  ;  the  necessary  sum  may  be 
divided,  in  moieties,  between  you  ;  a  common  bond  shall 
render  the  affair  compact  ;  and  then,  as  we  shall  be  masters 
of  our  own  secret,  there  can  be  little  doubt  of  the  prudence 
of  our  measures.  The  amount  is  written  in  this  bit  of 
paper." 

"  Two  thousand  pounds,  my  lord  ! " 

"  Pardon  me,  my  dear  sir  ;  not  a  penny  more  than  one 
for  each  of  you.  Justice  to  Van  Staats  requires  that  you 
let  him  into  the  aifair.  Were  it  not  for  the  suit  with  your 
niece,  I  should  take  the  young  gentleman  with  me,  to 
push  his  fortune  at  court." 

"  Truly,  my  lord,  this  greatly  exceeds  my  means.  The 
high  prices  of  furs  the  last  season,  and  delays  in  returns, 
have  placed  a  seal  upon  our  silver — — " 

"The  premium  would  be  high." 

"  Coin  is  getting  so  scarce  daily,  that  the  face  of  a 
Carolus  is  almost  as  great  a  stranger  as  the  face  of  a 
debtor " 

"The  returns  certain." 

"While  every  one's  creditors  meet  him  at  every  cor 
ner " 

"  The  concern  would  be  altogether  Dutch." 

"And  last  advices  from  Holland  tell  us  to  reserve  our 
gold  for  some  extraordinary  movements  in  the  commercial 
world." 

"Mr.  Alderman  Myndert  Van  Beverout ! " 

"  My  Lord  Viscount  Cornbury  !  " 

"  Plutus  preserve  thee,  sir — but  have  a  care  ;  though  I 
scent  the  morning  air,  and  must  return,  it  is  not  forbid 
to  tell  the  secrets  of  my  prison-house.  There  is  one  in 
yonder  case  who  whispers  that  the  Skimmer  of  the  Seas  is 
on  the  coast !  Be  wary,  worthy  burgher,  or  the  second  part 
of  the  tragedy  of  Kidd  may  be  yet  enacted  in  these  seas." 

"I  leave  such  transactions  to  my  superiors,"  retorted 
the  Alderman,  with  another  stiff  and  ceremonious  bow. 
"  Enterprises  that  are  said  to  have  occupied  the  Earl  of 
Bellamont,  Governor  Fletcher,  and  my  Lord  Cornbury, 
are  above  the  ambition  of  an  humble  merchant." 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  15 

'Adieu,  tenacious  sir;  quiet  thine  impatience  for  the 
extraordinary  Dutch  movements  ! "  said  Cornbury,  affect 
ing  to  laugh,  though  he  secretly  felt  the  sting  the  other 
had  applied,  since  common  report  implicated  not  only  him, 
but  his  two  official  predecessors,  in  several  of  the  lawless 
proceedings  of  the  American  buccaneers.  "Be  vigilant, 
or  la  demoiselle  Barberie  will  give  another  cross  to  the 
purity  of  the  stagnant  pool !  " 

The  bows  that  were  exchanged  were  strictly  in  charac 
ter.  The  Alderman  was  unmoved,  rigid,  and  formal,  while 
his  companion  could  not  forget  his  ease  of  manner,  even 
at  a  moment  of  so  much  vexation.  Foiled  in  an  effort 
that  nothing  but  his  desperate  condition,  and  nearly  des 
perate  character,  could  have  induced  him  to  attempt,  the 
degenerate  descendant  of  the  virtuous  Clarendon  walked 
toward  his  place  of  confinement  with  the  step  of  one  wrho 
assumed  a  superiority  over  his  fellows,  and  yet  with  a 
mind  so  indurated  by  habitual  depravity  as  to  have  left  it 
scarcely  the  trace  of  a  dignified  or  virtuous  quality. 


CHAPTER  II. 

His  words  are  bonds,  his  oaths  are  orders  ; 
His  love  sincere,  his  thoughts  immaculate. 

— Tivo  Gentlemen  of  Verona. 

THE  philosophy  of  Alderman  Van  Beverout  was  not 
easily  disturbed.  Still  there  was  a  play  of  the  nether 
muscles  of  the  face,  which  might  be  construed  into  self- 
complacency,  at  his  victory,  while  a  certain  contraction  of 
those  which  controlled  the  expression  of  the  forehead 
seemed  to  betray  a  full  consciousness  of  the  imminent  risk 
he  had  run.  The  left  hand  was  thrust  into  a  pocket,  where 
it  diligently  fingered  the  provision  of  Spanish  coin  with 
out  which  the  merchant  never  left  his  abode  ;  while  the 
other  struck  the  cane  it  held  on  the  pavement,  with  the 
force  of  a  resolute  and  decided  man.  In  this  manner  he 
proceeded  in  his  walk  for  several  minutes  longer,  shortly 
quitting  the  lower  streets,  to  enter  one  that  ran  along  the 
ridge  which  crowned  the  land  in  that  quarter  of  the  island. 
Here  he  soon  stopped  before  the  door  of  a  house  which,  in 
that  provincial  to\vn,  had  altogether  the  air  of  a  patrician 
dwelling. 


1 6  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

Two  false  gables,  each  of  which  was  surmounted  by  an 
iron  weathercock,  intersected  the  roof  of  this  building, 
and  the  high  and  narrow  stoop  was  built  of  the  red  free 
stone  of  the  country.  The  material  of  the  edifice  itself, 
was,  as  usual,  the  small,  hard  brick  of  Holland,  painted  a 
delicate  cream  color. 

A  single  blow  of  the  massive  glittering  knocker  brought 
a  servant  to  the  door.  The  promptitude  with  which  the 
summons  was  answered  showed  that,  notwithstanding  the 
early  hour,  the  Alderman  was  an  expected  guest.  The 
countenance  of  him  who  acted  as  porter  betrayed  no  sur 
prise  when  he  saw  the  person  who  applied  for  admission, 
and  every  movement  of  the  black  denoted  preparation 
and  readiness  for  his  reception.  Declining  his  invitation 
to  enter,  however,  the  Alderman  placed  his  back  against 
the  iron  railings  of  the  stoop,  and  opened  a  discourse  with 
the  negro.  The  latter  was  aged,  with  a  grizzled  head,  a 
nose  that  was  levelled  nearly  to  the  plane  of  his  face,  feat 
ures  that  were  wrinkled  and  confused,  and  with  a  form 
which,  though  still  solid,  was  bending  with  its  load  of 
years. 

"  Brave  cheer  to  thee  old  Cupid  !  "  commenced  the  burg 
her,  in  the  hearty  and  cordial  manner  with  which  the 
masters  of  that  period  were  wont  to  address  their  indulged 
slaves.  "  A  clear  conscience  is  a  good  night-cap,  and  you 
look  bright  as  the  morning  sun  !  I  hope  my  friend  the 
young  Patroon  has  slept  sound  as  yourself,  and  that  he 
has  shown  his  face  already  to  prove  it." 

The  negro  answered  with  the  slow,  clipping  manner 
that  characterized  his  condition  and  years. 

"  He'm  werry  wakeful,  Massa  Al'erman.  I  t'ink  he  no 
sleep  half  he  time  lately.  All  he  a'tiverty  and  wiwacerty 
gone,  an'  he  do  no  single  t'ing  but  smoke.  A  gentle'um 
who  smoke  alway,  Massa  Al'erinan,  get  to  be  a  melercholy 
man  at  last.  I  do  t'ink  'ere  be  one  young  lady  in  York  who 
be  he  deat'  some  time  ! " 

"  We'll  find  the  means  to  get  the  pipe  out  of  his  mouth," 
said  the  other,  looking  askance  at  the  black,  as  if  to  ex 
press  more  than  he  uttered.  "  Romance  and  pretty  girls 
play  the  deuce  with  our  philosophy  in  youth,  as  thou 
knowest  by  experience,  old  Cupid." 

"I  no  good  for  anyt'ing  dat-a-way  now,  not'ing,"  calmly 
returned  the  black.  "  I  see  a  one  time  when  few  color't 
man  in  York  had  mure  respect  among  a  fair  sec, 'but  data 


THE   WATER- WITCH.  17 

great  while  gone  by.  Now  de  modder  of  your  Euclid, 
Massa  Al'erman,  war'  young  herself,  and  I  used  to  visit  at 
de  al'erjnan's  fadder's  ;  afore  a  English  come,  and  when 
ole  Patroon  war'  a  young  man.  Golly  !  I  great  affection 
for  Euclid,  do'  a  young  dog  nebber  come  a  near  me  !  " 

"  He's  a  blackguard  !  My  back  is  no  sooner  turned  than 
the  rascal's  atop  of  one  of  his  master's  geldings." 

"  He'm  werry  young,  Massa  Myn'ert  ;  no  one  get  wis'om 
'fore  a  gray  hair." 

"  He's  forty,  every  minute  ;  and  the  rogue  gets  impu 
dence  with  his  years.  Age  is  a  reverend  and  respectable 
condition  when  it  brings  gravity  and  thought ;  but,  if  a 
young  fool  be  tiresome,  an  old  fool  is  contemptible.  I'll 
warrant  me,  you  never  were  so  thoughtless,  or  so  heart 
less,  Cupid,  as  to  ride  an  overworked  beast  at  night." 

"  Well,  I  get  pretty  ole,  Massa  Myn'ert,  and  I  forget  all 
he  do  when  a  young  man.  But  here  be'e  Patroon,  who 
know  how  to  tell  'e  Al'erman  such  t'ing  better  than  a  poor 
color'  slave." 

"A  fair  rising  and  a  lucky  day  to  you,  Patroon,"  cried^ 
the  Alderman,  saluting  a  large,  slow-moving  gentlemanly- 
looking  young  man  of  five-and-twenty,  who  advanced  with 
the  gravity  of  one  of  twice  that  number  of  years,  from  the 
interior  of  the  house  toward  its  outer  door.  "  The  winds 
are  bespoken,  and  here  is  as  fine  a  day  as  ever  shone  out 
of  a  clear  sky,  whether  it  came  from  the  pure  atmosphere 
of  Holland  or  of  old  England  itself.  Colonies  and  patron 
age  !  If  the  people  on  the  other  side  of  the  ocean  had 
more  faith  in  mother  Nature,  and  less  opinion  of  them 
selves,  they  would  find  it  very  tolerable  breathing  in  the 
plantations.  ,But  the  conceited  rogues  are  like  the  man 
who  blew  the  bellows,  and  fancied  he  made  the  music  ; 
and  there  is  never  a  hobbling  imp  of  them  all,  but  he  be 
lieves  he  is  straighter  and  sounder  than  the  best  in  the 
colonies.  Here  is  our  bay,  now,  as  smooth  as  if  it  were 
shut  in  with  twenty  dykes,  and  the  voyage  will  be  as  safe 
as  if  it  were  made  on  a  canal." 

"  Dat  werry  well,  if  'a  do  it,"  grumbled  Cupid,  who 
busied  himself  affectionately  about  the  person  of  his 
master  ;  "  I  tink  it  alway  better  to  travel  on  'e  land,  when 
a  gentle'um  owns  so  much  as  Massa  Oloff.  Der'  war'  'e 
time  a  ferry-boat  go  down,  wid  crowd  of  people  ;  and  no 
body  ever  come  up  again  to  say  how  he  feel." 

"  Here    is    some    mistake,"    interrupted   the  Alderman, 


1 8  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

throwing  an  uneasy  glance  at  his  young  friend.  "  I 
count  four-and-fifty  years  and  remember  no  such  ca 
lamity." 

"  He'm  werry  sing'lar  how  a  young  folk  do  forget  ! 
'Ere  war'  drown  six  people  in  dat  wery  boat.  A  two  Yan 
kee,  a  Canada  Frenchman,  and  a  poor  woman  from  a  Jar- 
seys.  Eberybody  war'  werry  sorry  for  a  poor  woman  from 
a  Jarseys  !  " 

"  Thy  tally  is  false,  Master  Cupid,"  promptly  rejoined 
the  Alderman,  who  was  rather  expert  at  figures.  "  Two 
Yankees,  a  Frenchman,  and  your  Jersey  woman,  make  but 
four." 

"  Well,  den,  I  s'pose  'ere  war'  one  Yankee  ;  but  I  know 
all  war'  drown,  for  'e  gubnor  lose  he  fine  coach-horses  in 
dat  werry  boat." 

"The  old  fellow  is  right,  sure  enough  ;  for  I  remember 
the  calamity  of  the  horses,  as  if  it  were  but  yesterday. 
But  Death  is  monarch  of  the  earth,  and  none  of  us  may 
hope  to  escape  his  scythe  when  the  appointed  hour  shall 
come  !  Here  are  no  nags  to  lose  to-day  ;  and  we  may  com 
mence  our  voyage,  Patroon,  with  cheerful  faces  and  light 
hearts.  Shall  we  proceed  ? " 

Oloff  Van  Staats,  or  the  Patroon  of  Kinderhook,  as  by 
the  courtesy  of  the  colony  he  was  commonly  termed,  did 
not  want  for  personal  firmness.  On  the  contrary,  like 
most  of  those  who  were  descended  from  the  Hollanders, 
he  was  rather  distinguished  for  steadiness  in  danger, 
and  obstinacy  in  resistance.  The  little  skirmish  which  had 
just  taken  place  between  his  friend  and  his  slave,  had  pro 
ceeded  from  their  several  apprehensions  ;  the  one  feeling  a 
sort  of  parental  interest  in  his  safety,  and  the  other  having 
particular  reasons  for  wishing  him  to  persevere  in  his  in 
tention  to  embark,  instead  of  any  justifiable  cause  in  the 
character  of  the  young  proprietor  himself.  A  sign  to  the 
boy  who  bore  his  portmanteau,  settled  the  controversy, 
when  Mr.  Van  Staats  intimated  his  readiness  to  move. 

Cupid  lingered  on  the  stoop  until  his  master  had  turned 
a  corner  ;  then,  shaking  his  head  with  all  the  misgivings 
of  an  ignorant  and  superstitious  mind,  he  drove  the  young 
fry  of  blacks,  who  thronged  the  door,  into  the  house,  clos 
ing  all  after  him  with  scrupulous  care.  How  far  the  pre 
sentiment  of  the  black  was  warranted  by  the  event  will  be 
seen  in  the  course  of  the  narrative. 

The  wide  avenue  in  which  Oloff  Van  Staats  lived  was 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  19 

but  a  few  hundred  yards  in  length.  It  terminated  at  one 
end  with  the  fortress,  and  at  the  other  it  was  crossed  by  a 
high  stockade,  which  bore  the  name  of  the  city  walls';  a 
defence  that  was  provided  against  any  sudden  irruption  of 
the  Indians,  who  then  hunted,  and  even  dwelt  in  some 
numbers,  in  the  lower  counties  of  the  colony. 

It  requires  great  familiarity  with  the  growth  of  the 
town,  to  recognize,  in  this  description,  the  noble  street 
that  runs  for  a  league  through  the  centre  of  the  island. 
From  this  avenue  which  was  then,  as  it  is  still,  called  the 
Broadway,  our  adventurers  descended  into  a  lower  quarter 
of  the  town,  holding  free  converse  by  the  way. 

"  That  Cupid  is  a  negro  to  keep  the  roof  on  a  house  in 
its  master's  absence,  Patroon,"  observed  the  Alderman, 
soon  after  they  had  left  the  stoop.  "  He  looks  like  a  pad 
lock,  and  one  might  sleep  without  a  dream  with  such  a 
guardian  near  his  dwelling.  I  wish  I  had  brought  the 
honest  fellow  the  key  of  my  stable." 

"  I  have  heard  my  father  say  that  the  keys  of  his  own 
were  always  better  under  his  own  pillow,"  coolly  replied 
the  proprietor  of  a  hundred  thousand  acres. 

"Ah,  the  curse  of  Cain!  It  is  useless  to  look  for  the 
fur  of  a  marten  on  the  back  of  a  cat.  But,  Mr.  Van 
Staats,  while  walking  to  your  door  this  morning,  it  was  my 
fortune  to  meet  the  late  governor,  who  is  permitted  by  his 
creditors  to  take  the  air  at  an  hour  when  he  thinks  the 
eyes  of  the  impertinent  will  be  shut.  I  believe,  Patroon, 
you  were  so  lucky  as  to  get  back  your  moneys  before  the 
royal  displeasure  visited  this  man  ?" 

"  I  was  so  lucky  as  never  to  trust  him." 

"  That  was  better  ;  still  it  would  have  been  a  barren  in 
vestment — great  jeopardy  to  principal,  and  no  return. 
But  we  had  discourses  of  various  interests ;  and,  among 
others,  something  was  hazarded  concerning  your  amatory 
pretensions  to  my  niece." 

"  Neither  the  wishes  of  Oloff  Van  Staats,  nor  the  inclina 
tion  of  la  belle  Barberie,  are  a  subject  for  the  governor  in" 
council,"  said  Patroon  of  Kinderhook,  stiffly. 

"  Nor  was  it  thus  treated.  The  viscount  spoke  me  fair, 
and  had  he  not  pushed  the  matter  beyond  discretion,  we 
might  have  come  to  happier  conclusions." 

"  I  am  glad  there  was  some  restraint  in  the  discourse." 

"  The  man  exceeded  reason,  for  he  led  the  conference 
into  personalities  that  no  prudent  man  could  relish.  Still, 


20  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

he  said  that  it  was  possible  that  the  Coquette  might  yet  be 
ordered  for  service  among  the  islands  !  " 

It  has  been  said  that  Oloff  Van  Staats  was  a  fair,  per 
sonable  young  man  of  vast  stature  and  with  much  the  air 
of  a  gentleman  of  his  country  ;  for,  though  a  British  sub 
ject,  he  was  rather  a  Hollander,  in  feelings,  habits  and 
opinions.  He  colored  at  the  allusion  to  the  presence  of 
his  known  rival,  though  his  companion  was  at  loss  to  dis 
cover  whether  pride  or  vexation  was  at  the  bottom  of  his 
emotion. 

"  If  Captain  Ludlow  prefers  a  cruise  in  the  Indies  to 
duty  on  this  coast,  I  hope  he  may  obtain  his  wish,"  was 
the  cautious  answer. 

"  Your  liberal  man  enjoys  a  sounding  name  and  an 
empty  coffer,"  observed  the  Alderman  dryly.  "  To  me  it 
seems  that  a  petition  to  the  admiral  to  send  so  meritorious 
an  officer  on  service  where  he  may  distinguish  himself, 
should  deserve  his  thanks.  The  freebooters  are  playing 
the  devil's  game  w^ith  the  sugar  trade,  and  even  the  French 
are  getting  troublesome  farther  south." 

"  He  has  certainly  the  reputation  of  an  active  cruiser." 

"  Blixum  and  philosophy  !  If  you  wish  to  succeed  with 
Alida,  Patroon,  you  must  put  more  briskness  into  the  ad 
venture.  The  girl  has  a  cross  of  the  Frenchman  in  her 
temper,  and  none  of  your  deliberations  and  taciturnities 
will  gain  the  day.  The  visit  to  the  Lust  in  Rust  is  Cupid's 
own  handiwork,  and  I  hope  to  see  you  both  return  to 
town  as  amicable  as  the  Stadtholder  and  the  State  General, 
after  a  sharp  struggle  for  the  year's  subsidy  has  been  set 
tled  by  a  compromise." 

"  The  success  of  this  suit  is  the  affair  nearest  my — " 
The  young  man  paused,  as  if  surprised  at  his  own  com 
municativeness  ;  and,  taking  advantage  of  the  haste  in 
which  his  toilet  had  been  made  he  thrust  his  hand  into  his 
vest,  covered  with  his  broad  palm  a  portion  of  the  human 
frame  which  poets  do  not  describe  as  the  seat  of  the  pas 
sions. 

"  If  you  mean  stomach,  sir,  you  will  not  have  reason  to 
be  disappointed,"  retorted  the  Alderman,  a  little  more  se 
verely  than  was  usual  with  one  so  cautious.  "  The  heiress 
of  Myndert  Van  Beverout  will  not  be  a  penniless  bride, 
and  Monsieur  Barberie  did  not  close  the  books  of  life  with 
out  taking  good  care  of  the  balance-sheet — but  yonder  are 
those  devils  of  ferrymen  quitting  the  wharf  without  us  ! 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  21 

Scamper  ahead,  Brutus,  and  tell  them  to  wait  the  legal 
minute.  The  rogues  are  never  exact  ;  sometimes  starting 
before  I  am  ready,  and  sometimes  keeping  me  waiting  in 
the  sun,  as  if  I  were  no  better  than  a  sunfish.  Punctuality 
is  the  soul  of  business,  and  one  of  my  habits  does  not  like 
to  be  ahead  nor  behind  time." 

In  this  manner  the  worthy  burgher,  who  would  have 
been  glad  to  regulate  the  movements  of  others,  on  all 
occasions,  a  good  deal  by  his  own,  vented  his  complaints, 
while  he  and  his  companion  hurried  on  to  overtake  the 
slowing-moving  boat  in  which  they  were  to  embark!  A 
brief  description  of  the  scene  will  not  be  without  interest 
to  a  generation  that  may  be  termed  modern  in  reference 
to  the  time  of  which  we  write. 

A  deep,  narrow  creek  penetrated  the  island  at  this  point, 
for  the  distance  of  a  quarter  of  a  mile.  Each  of  its  banks 
had  a  row  of  buildings,  as  the  houses  line  a  canal  in  the 
cities  of  Holland.  As  the  course  of  the  inlet  was  neces 
sarily  respected,  the  street  had  taken  a  curvature  not  un 
like  that  of  a  new  moon.  The  houses  were  ultra-Dutch, 
being  low,  angular,  fastidiously  neat,  and  all  erected  with 
gables  to  the  street.  Each  had  its  ugly  and  inconvenient 
entrance,  termed  a  stoop,  its  vane  or  weathercock,  its  dor 
mer-windows,  and  its  graduated  battlement-walls.  Near 
the  apex  of  one  of  the  latter,  a  little  iron  crane  projected 
into  the  street.  A  small  boat,  of  the  same  metal,  swung 
from  its  end,  a  sign  that  the  building  to  which  it  was  ap 
pended  was  the  ferry-house. 

An  inherent  love  of  artificial  and  confined  navigation 
had  probably  induced  the  burghers  to  select  this  spot  as 
the  place  whence  so  many  craft  departed  from  the  town  ; 
since  it  is  certain  that  the  two  rivers  could  have  furnished 
divers  points  more  favorable  for  such  an  object,  inasmuch 
as  they  possess  the  advantage  of  wide  and  unobstructed 
channels. 

Fifty  blacks  were  already  in  the  street,  dipping  their 
brooms  into  the  creek,  and  flourishing  water  over  the  side 
walks,  and  on  the  fronts  of  the  low  edifices.  This  light, 
but  daily  duty  was  relieved  by  clamorous  collisions  of  wit, 
and  by  shouts  of  merriment,  in  which  the  whole  street 
would  join,  as  with  one  joyous  and  reckless  movement  of 
the  spirit. 

The  language  of  this  light-hearted  and  noisy  race  was 
Dutch,  already  corrupted  by  English  idioms,  and  occasion- 


22  THE   WATER- WITCH. 

'•»-  ,N- 

ally  by  English  words  ;  a  system  of  change  that  has 
probabl^  given  rise  to  an  opinion,  among  some  of  the 
descendants  of  the  earlier  colonists,  that  the  latter  tongue 
is  merely  a  patois  of  the  former.  This  opinion,  which  so 
much  resembles  that  which  certain  well-read  English 
scholars  entertained  of  the  plagiarisms  of  the  continental 
writers,  when  they  first  began  to  dip  into  their  works,  is 
not  strictly  true ;  since  the  language  of  England  has  prob 
ably  bestowed  as  much  on  the  dialect  of  which  we  speak, 
as  it  has  ever  received  from  the  purer  sources  of  the  school 
of  Holland.  Here  and  there  a  grave  burgher,  still  in  his 
night-cap,  might  be  seen  with  a  head  thrust  out  of  an  upper 
window,  listening  to  these  barbarisms  of  speech,  and  taking 
note  of  all  the  merry  jibes  that  flew  from  mouth  to  mouth, 
with  an  indomitable  gravity  that  no  levity  of  those  beneath 
could  undermine. 

As  the  movement  of  the  ferry-boat  was  necessarily  slow, 
the  Alderman  and  his  companion  were  enabled  to  step 
into  it  before  the  fasts  were  thrown  aboard.  The  periagua, 
as  the  craft  was  called,  partook  of  a  European  and  an 
American  character.  It  possessed  the  length,  narrowness, 
and  clean  bow  of  the  canoe,  from  which  its  name  was 
derived,  with  the  flat  bottom  and  lee-boards  of  a  boat  con 
structed  for  the  shallow  waters  of  the  Low  Countries. 
Twenty  years  ago  vessels  of  this  description  abounded  in 
our  rivers,  and  even  now  their  two  long  and  unsupported 
masts,  and  high,  narrow-headed  sail,  are  daily  seen  bending 
like  reeds  to  the  breeze,  and  dancing  lightly  over  the  bil 
lows  of  the  bay. 

There  is  a  variety  of  the  class  of  a  size  and  pretension 
altogether  superior  to  that  just  mentioned,  which  deserves 
a  place  among  the  most  picturesqne  and  striking  boats  that 
float.  He  who  has  had  occasion  to  navigate  the  southern 
shore  of  the  Sound  must  have  often  seen  the  vessel  to 
which  we  allude.  It  is  distinguished  by  its  great  length, 
and  masts  which,  naked  of  cordage,  rise  from  the  hull  like 
two  tall  and  faultless  trees.  When  the  eye  runs  over  the 
daring  height  of  the  canvas,  the  noble  confidence  of  the 
rig,  and  sees  the  comparatively  vast  machine  handled  with 
ease  and  grace  by  the  dexterity  of  two  fearless  and  expert 
mariners,  it  excites  some  such  admiration  as  that  which 
springs  from  the  view  of  a  severe  temple  of  antiquity.  The 
nakedness  and  simplicity  of  the  construction,  coupled  with 
the  boldness  and  rapidity  of  its  movements,  impart  to  the 


THE   WATER-IVITCH\  23 

*«~ 

craft  an  air  of  grandeur  that  its  ordinary  uses 
give  reason  to  expect. 

Though,  in  some  respects,  of  singular  aquatic  habits,  the 
original  colonists  of  New  York  were  far  less  adventurous, 
as  mariners,  than  their  present  descendants.  A  passage 
across  the  bay  did  not  often  occur  in  the  tranquil  lives  of 
the  burghers  ;  and  it  is  still  within  the  memory  of  man, 
that  a  voyage  between  the  two  principal  towns  of  the 
State  was  an  event  to  excite  the  solicitude  of  friends,  and 
the  anxiety  of  the  traveller.  The  perils  of  the  Tappan  Zee, 
as  one  of  the  wider  reaches  of  the  Hudson  is  still  termed, 
were  often  dealt  with  by  the  good  wives  of  the  colony,  in 
their  relations  of  marvels  ;  and  she  who  had  oftenest  en 
countered  them  unharmed,  was  deemed  a  sort  of  marine 
amazon. 

CHAPTER  III. 

I  have  great  comfort  from  this  fellow ;  methinks  he  hath  no  drowning 
mark  upon  him  :  his  complexion  is  perfect  gallows. — Tempest. 

IT  has  been  said  that  the  periaguawas  in  motion,  before 
our  two  adventurers  succeeded  in  stepping  on  board.  The 
arrival  of  the  Patroon  of  Kinderhook  and  of  the  Alderman 
Van  Beverout  was  expected,  and  the  skipper  had  taken 
his  departure  at  the  precise  moment  of  the  turn  in  the 
current,  in  order  to  show,  with  a  sort  of  pretending  inde 
pendence  which  has  a  peculiar  charm  for  men  in  his  situ 
ation,  that  "  Time  and  tide  wait  for  no  man."  Still  there 
were  limits  to  his  decision  ;  for,  while  he  put  the  boat  in 
motion,  especial  care  was  taken  that  the  circumstance 
should  not  subject  a  customer  so  important  and  constant 
as  the  Alderman,  to  any  serious  inconvenience.  When  he 
and  his  friend  had  embarked,  the  painters  were  thrown 
aboard,  and  the  crew  of  the  ferry-boat  began  to  set  their 
vessel,  in  earnest,  toward  the  mouth  of  the  creek.  During 
these  movements,  a  young  negro  was  seated  in  the  bow  of 
the  periagua,  with  his  legs  dangling  one  on  each  side  of 
the  cut-water,  forming  no  bad  apology  for  a  figure-head. 
He  held  a  conch  to  his  mouth,  and  with  his  two  glossy 
cheeks  inflated  like  those  of  ^Eolus,  and  his  dark,  glitter 
ing  eyes  expressing  the  delight  he  found  in  drawing  sounds 
from  the  shell,  he  continued  to  give  forth  the  signal  for 
departure. 


24  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

"  Put, up  the  conch,  thou  bawler  !  "  cried  the  Alderman, 
giving  the  yonker  a  rap  on  his  naked  poll,  in  passing,  with 
the  end  of  his  cane,  that  might  have  disturbed  the  harmo 
ny  of  one  less  bent  to  clamor.  "  A  thousand  windy  trum 
peters  would  be  silence  itself,  compared  to  such  a  pair  of 
lungs  !  How  now,  Master  Skipper,  is  this  your  punctuali 
ty  to  start  before  your  passengers  are  ready  ? " 

The  undisturbed  boatman,  without  removing  the  pipe 
from  his  mouth,  pointed  to  the  bubbles  on  the  water  which 
were  already  floating  outward,  a  certain  evidence  that  the 
tide  was  on  the  ebb. 

"I  care  nothing  for  your  ins  and  outs,  your  ebbs  and 
floods,"  returned  the  Alderman,  in  heat.  '"  There  is  no 
better  time-piece  than  the  leg  and  eye  of  a  punctual  man. 
It  is  no  more  pleasant  to  go  before  one  is  ready,  than  to 
tarry  when  all  business  is  done.  Harkee,  Master  Skipper, 
you  are  not  the  only  navigator  in  this  bay,  nor  is  your 
craft  the  swiftest  that  was  ever  launched.  Have  a  care  ; 
though  an  acquiescing  man  by  nature,  I  know  how  to  en 
courage  an  opposition,  when  the  public  good  seriously 
calls  for  my  support." 

To  the  attack  on  himself,  the  skipper  was  stoically  in 
different,  but  to  impeach  the  qualities  of  the  periagua  was 
to  attack  one  who  depended  solely  on  his  eloquence  for 
vindication.  Removing  his  pipe,  therefore,  he  rejoined 
on  the  Alderman,  with  that  sort  of  freedom  that  the  stur 
dy  Hollanders  never  failed  to  use  to  all  offenders,  regard 
less  alike  of  rank  or  personal  qualities. 

"  Der  wind-gall  and  alderman,"  he  growled,  in  the  dia 
lect  of  the  country ;  "  I  should  be  glad  to  see  the  boat  in 
York  bay  that  can  show  the  Milkmaid  her  stern  !  The 
Mayor  and  Councilmen  had  better  order  the  tide  to  turn 
when  they  please  ;  and  then  as  each  man  will  think  of  his 
own  pleasure,  a  pretty  set  of  whirlpools  they  will  give  us 
in  the  harbor  !  " 

The  skipper,  having  delivered  himself  of  his  sentiments 
to  this  effect,  resumed  his  pipe,  like  a  man  who  felt  he 
deserved  the  meed  of  victory,  whether  he  were  to  receive 
it  or  not. 

"  It  is  useless  to  dispute  with  an  obstinate  man,"  mut 
tered  the  Alderman,  making  his  way  through  vegetable 
baskets,  butter-tubs,  and  all  the  garniture  of  a  market- 
boat,  to  the  place  occupied  by  his  niece,  in  the  stern  sheets. 
"  Good  morrow  to  thee,  Alida  dear;  early  rising  will  make 


THE  WATER- WITCH.  25 

a  flower-garden  of  thy  cheeks,  and  the  fresh  air  of  the  Lust 
in  Rust  will  give  even  thy  roses  a  deeper  bloom." 

The  mollified  burgher  then  saluted  the  cheek  whose 
bloom  had  been  deepened  by  his  remark,  with  a  warmth 
that  showed  he  was  not  without  natural  affection  ;  touched 
his  hat  in  return  for  a  low  bow  that  he  received  from  an 
aged  white  man-servant,  in  a  clean  but  ancient  livery  ;  arid 
nodded  to  a  young  negress,  whose  second-hand  finery  suffi 
ciently  showed  she  was  a  personal  attendant  of  the  heiress. 

A  second  glance  at  Alida  de  Barberie  was  scarcely 
necessary  to  betray  her  mixed  descent  From  her  Nor 
man  father,  a  Huguenot  of  the  petite  noblesse,  she  had  in 
herited  her  raven  hair,  the  large,  brilliant,  coal-black  eyes, 
in  which  wildness  was  singularly  relieved  by  sweetness,  a 
classical  and  faultless  profile,  and  a  form  which  was  both 
taller  and  more  flexible  than  commonly  fell  to  the  lot  of 
the  damsels  of  Holland.  From  her  mother,  la  belle  Bar 
berie,  as  the  maiden  was  often  playfully  termed,  had  re 
ceived  a  skin  fair  and  spotless  as  the  flower  of  France,  and 
a  bloom  which  rivalled  the  rich  tints  of  an  evening  sky  in 
her  native  land.  Some  of  the  embonpoint,  for  which  the 
sister  of  the  Alderman  was  a  little  remarkable,  had  de 
scended  also  to  her  fairer  daughter.  In  Alida,  however, 
this  peculiarity  did  not  exceed  the  fulness  which  became 
her  years,  rounding  her  person  and  softening  the  outlines 
of  her  form,  rather  than  diminishing  its  ease  and  grace. 
These  personal  advantages  were  embellished  by  a  neat  but 
modest  travelling  habit,  a  little  beaver  that  was  shaded  by 
a  cluster  of  drooping  feathers,  and  a  mien  that,  under  the 
embarrassment  of  her  situation,  preserved  the  happiest 
medium  between  modesty  and  perfect  self-possession. 

When  Alderman  Van  Beverout  joined  his  fair  creature, 
in  whose  future  happiness  he  was  fully  justified  in  taking 
the  deep  interest  which  he  has  betrayed  in  some  of  the 
opening  scenes  of  this  volume,  he  found  her  engaged  in 
a  courteous  discourse  with  the  young  man,  who  was  gen 
erally  considered  as  the  one,  among  the  numerous  pre 
tenders  to  her  favor,  who  was  most  likely  to  succeed.  Had 
other  cause  been  wanting,  this  sight  alone  would  have 
been  sufficient  to  restore  his  good  humor  ;  and,  making  a 
place  for  himself,  by  quietly  dispossessing  Francois,  the 
domestic  of  his  niece,  the  persevering  burgher  endeavored 
to  encourage  an  intercourse  that  he  had  reason  to  think 
must  terminate  in  the  result  he  both  meditated  and  desired 


26  THE   WATER-WITCH-. 

In  the  present  effort,  however,  the  Alderman  failed. 
There  is  a  feeling  which  universally  pervades  among  lands 
men  and  landswomen,  when  they  first  embark  on  an  ele 
ment  to  which  they  are  strangers,  that  ordinarily  shuts 
their  mouths  and  renders  them  meditative.  In  the  older 
and  more  observant  travellers,  it  is  observation  and  com 
parison  ;  while  with  the  younger  and  more  susceptible,  it 
is  very  apt  to  take  the  character  of  sentiment.  Without 
stopping  to  analyze  the  cause  or  the  consequences,  in  the 
instance  of  the  Patroon  and  la  belle  Barberie,  it  will  be 
sufficient  to  state,  that  in  spite  of  all  the  efforts  of  the 
worthy  burgher,  who  had  navigated  the  sluggish  creek  too 
often  to  be  the  subject  of  any  new  emotions,  his  youthful 
companions  gradually  grew  silent  and  thoughtful.  Though 
a  celibate  in  his  own  person,  Myndert  had  not  now  to  learn 
that  the  infant  god  as  often  does  his  mischief  through 
this  quiet  agency  as  in  any  other  manner.  He  became, 
therefore,  mute  in  his  turn,  watching  the  slow  movement 
of  the  periagua  with  as  much  assiduity  as  if  he  saw  his 
own  image  on  the  water. 

A  quarter  of  an  hour  of  this  characteristic,  and  it  is  to 
be  inferred,  agreeable  navigation,  brought  the  boat  to  the 
mouth  of  the  inlet.  Here  a  powerful  effort  forced  her  into 
the  tide's-way,  and  she  might  be  said  to  put  forth  on  her 
voyage.  But  while  the  black  crew  were  trimming  the 
sails,  and  making  the  other  necessary  preparations  for  de 
parture,  a  voice  was  heard  hailing  them  from  the  shore, 
with  an  order  rather  than  a  request,  that  they  would  stay 
their  movements. 

"  Hilloa,  the  periagua!"  it  cried.  "Haul  over  your 
head-sheet,  and  jam  the  tiller  down  into  the  lap  of  that 
comfortable-looking  old  gentleman.  Come  ;  bear  a  hand, 
my  hummers  !  or  your  horse-race  of  a  craft  will  get  the  bit 
into  its  mouth,  and  run  away  with  you." 

This  summons  produced  a  pause  in  the  movements  of 
the  crew.  After  regarding  each  other,  in  surprise  and  ad 
miration,  the  watermen  drew  the  head-sheet  over,  put  the 
helm  a-lee,  without,  however,  invading  the  lap  of  the  Al 
derman,  and  the  boat  became  stationary,  at  the  distance  of 
a  few  rods  from  the  shore.  While  the  new  passenger  was 
preparing  to  come  off  in  a  yawl,  those  who  awaited  his 
movements  had  leisure  to  examine  his  appearance,  and  to 
form  their  different  surmises  concerning  his  character. 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say  that  the   stranger  was  a 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  27 

son  of  the  ocean.  He  was  of  a  firmly  knit  and  active 
frame,  standing  exactly  six  feet  in  his  stockings.  The 
shoulders,  though  square,  were  compact,  the  chest  full  and 
high,  the  limbs  round,  neat  and  muscular — the  whole  in 
dicating  a  form  in  which  strength  and  activity  were  ap 
portioned  with  the  greatest  accuracy.  A  small  bullet  head 
was  set  firmly  on  its  broad  foundation,  and  it  was  thickly 
covered  with  a  mass  of  brown  hair  that  was  already  a  little 
grizzled.  The  face  was  that  of  a  man  of  thirty,  and  it  was 
worthy  of  the  frame,  being  manly,  bold,  decided,  and 
rather  handsome  ;  though  it  expressed  little  more  than 
high  daring,  perfect  coolness,  some  obstinacy,  and  a  cer 
tain  degree  of  contempt  for  others,  that  its  owner  did  not 
always  take  the  trouble  to  conceal.  The  color  was  a  rich, 
deep,  and  uniform  red  such  as  much  exposure  is  apt  to 
give  to  men  whose  complexions  are  by  nature  light  and 
florid. 

The  dress  of  this  stranger  was  quite  as  remarkable  as 
his  person.  He  wore  a  short  pea-jacket,  cut  tight  and 
tastefully ;  a  little,  low  and  rakish  cap,  and  full,  bell- 
mouthed  trousers,  all  in  a  spotlessly  white  duck  ;  a  ma 
terial  well  adapted  to  the  season  and  climate.  The  first 
was  made  without  buttons,  affording  an  apology  for  the 
use  of  the  rich  Indian  shawl,  that  belted  his  body  and  kept 
the  garment  tight  to  his  frame.  Faultlessly  clean  linen 
appeared  through  the  opening  above,  and  a  collar  of  the 
same  material  fell  over  the  gay  bandanna,  which  was 
thrown,  with  a  single  careless  turn,  around  his  throat. 
The  latter  was  a  manufacture  then  little  known  in  Europe, 
and  its  use  was  almost  entirely  confined  to  seamen  of  the 
long  voyage.  One  of  its  ends  was  suffered  to  blow  about 
in  the  wind,  but  the  other  was  brought  down  with  care 
over  the  chest,  where  it  was  confined,  by  springing  the 
blade  of  a  small  knife  with  an  ivory  handle,  in  a  manner 
to  confine  the  silk  to  the  linen  ;  a  sort  of  breast-pin  that  is 
even  now  much  used  by  mariners.  If  we  add  that  light 
canvas  slippers,  with  foul  anchors  worked  in  worsteds 
upon  their  insteps,  covered  his  feet,  we  shall  say  all  that 
is  necessary  of  his  attire. 

The  appearance  of  one,  of  the  air  and  dress  we  have  just 
described,  excited  a  strong  sensation  among  the  blacks 
who  scrubbed  the  stoops  and  pavements.  He  was  closely 
attended  to  the  place  where  he  hailed  the  periagua,  by  four 
or  five  loungers,  who  studied  his  manner  and  movements 


28  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

with  the  admiration  that  men  of  their  class  seldom  fail  to 
bestow  on  those  who  bear  about  them  the  evidence  of  hav 
ing  passed  lives  of  adventure,  and  perhaps  of  hardship  and 
daring.  Beckoning  to  one  of  these  idlers  to  follow  him, 
the  hero  of  the  India-shawl  stepped  into  an  empty  boat, 
and  casting  loose  its  fast,  he  sculled  the  light  yawl  to 
ward  the  craft  which  was  awaiting  his  arrival.  There  was, 
in  truth,  something  in  the  reckless  air,  the  decision,  and 
the  manly  attitudes  of  so  fine  a  specimen  of  a  seaman,  that 
might  have  attracted  notice  from  those  who  were  more 
practised  in  the  world  than  the  little  crowd  of  admirers  he 
left  behind  him.  With  an  easy  play  of  wrist  and  elbow,  he 
caused  the  yawl  to  glide  ahead  like  some  indolent  marine 
animal  swimming  through  its  element,  and  as  he  stood, 
firm  as  a  planted  statue,  with  afoot  on  each  gunwale,  there 
was  much  of  that  confidence  created  by  his  steadiness,  that 
one  acquires  by  viewing  the  repeated  and  successful  efforts 
of  a  skilful  rope-dancer.  When  the  yawl  reached  the  side 
of  the  periagua,  he  dropped  a  small  Spanish  coin  into  the 
open  palm  of  the  negro,  and  sprang  on  the  side  of  the 
latter,  with  an  exertion  of  muscle  that  sent  the  little  boat 
he  quitted  half-way  toward  the  shore,  leaving  the  fright 
ened  black  to  steady  himself  in  his  rocking  tenement,  in 
the  best  manner  he  could. 

The  tread  and  posture  of  the*  stranger,  when  he  gained 
the  half-deck  of  the  periagua,  were  finely  nautical,  and 
confident  to  audacity.  He  seemed  to  analyze  the  half- 
maritime  character  of  the  crew  and  passengers  at  a  glance, 
and  to  feel  that  sort  of  superiority  over  his  companions 
which  men  of  his  profession  were  then  a  little  too  wont  to 
entertain  toward  those  whose  ambition  could  be  bounded 
by  terra  fir  ma.  His  eye  turned  upward  at  the  simple  rig 
and  modest  sails  of  the  periagua,  while  his  upper  lip  curled 
with  the  knowing  expression  of  a  critic.  Then  kicking  the 
fore-sheet  clear  of  its  cleat,  and  suffering  the  sail  to  fill, 
he  stepped  from  one  butter-tub  to  another,  making  a  step 
ping-stone  of  the  lap  of  a  countryman  by  the  way,  and 
alighted  in  the  stern-sheets,  in  the  midst  of  the  party  of  Al 
derman  Van  Beverout,  with  the  agility  and  fearlessness  of 
a  feathered  Mercury.  With  a  coolness  that  did  infinite 
credit  to  his  powers  for  commanding,  his  next  act  was  to 
dispossess  the  amazed  skipper  of  the  helm,  taking  the  tiller 
into  his  own  hands  with  as  much  composure  as  if  he  were 
the  every  day  occupant  of  the  post.  When  he  saw  that 


THE   WATER- WITCH.  29 

the  boat  was  beginning  to  move  through  the  water,  he  found 
leisure  to  bestow  some  observation  on  his  fellow-voyagers. 
The  first  that  met  his  bold  and  reckless  eye  was  Francois, 
the  domestic  of  Alida. 

"  If  it  come  to  blow  in  squalls,  commodore,"  observed 
the  intruder,  with  a  gravity  that  half  deceived  the  attentive 
Frenchman,  while  he  pointed  to  the  bag  in  which  the  lat 
ter  wrore  his  hair,  "you'll  be  troubled  to  carry  your  broad 
pennant.  But  so  experienced  an  officer  has  not  put  to  sea 
without  having  a  storm  queue  in  readiness  for  foul  weather." 

The  valet  did  not,  or  affected  not  to  understand  the  allu 
sion,  maintaining  an  air  of  dignified  but  silent  superiority. 

"  The  gentleman  is  in  a  foreign  service,  and  does  not 
understand  an  English  mariner  !  The  worst  that  can  come, 
after  all,  too  much  top-hamper  is  to  cut  away,  and  let  it 
drift  with  the  scud.  May  I  make  bold  to  ask,  judge,  if 
the  courts  have  done  anything  of  late  concerning  the  free 
booters  among  the  Islands  ?" 

"I  have  not  the  honor  to  bear  her  Majesty's  com 
mission,"  coldly  returned  Van  Staats  of  Kinderhook,  to 
whom  this  question  had  been  hardly  put. 

"  The  best  navigator  is  sometimes  puzzled  by  a  hazy 
observation,  and  many  an  old  seaman  has  taken  fog  bank 
for  solid  ground.  Since  you  are  not  in  the  courts,  sir,  I 
wish  you  joy  ;  for  it  is  running  among  shoals  to  be  cruising 
there,  whether  as  judge  or  suitor.  One  is  never  fairly  snug 
and  land-locked  while  in  company  of  a  lawyer,  and  yet  the 
devil  himself  cannot  always  give  the  sharks  a  good  offing. 
A  pretty  sheet  of  water,  friends  ;  and  one  as  snug  as  rotten 
cables  and  foul  winds  can  render  desirable,  is  this  bay  of 
York." 

"  You  are  a  mariner  of  the  long  voyage,"  returned  the 
Patroon,  unwilling  that  Alida  should  not  believe  him  equal 
to  bandying  wits  with  the  stranger. 

"  Long  or  short  ;  Calcutta  or  Cape  Cod  ;  dead-reckon 
ing,  eye-sight,  or  star-gazing  ;  all's  one  to  your  real  dol 
phin.  The  shape  of  the  coast,  between  Fundy  and  the  Horn, 
is  as  familiar  to  my  eye  as  an  admirer  to  this  pretty  young 
lady ;  and  as  to  the  other  shore,  I  have  run  it  down 
oftener  than  the  commodore  here  has  ever  set  his  pennant, 
blow  high  or  blow  low.  A  cruise  like  this  is  a  Sunday  in 
my  navigation  ;  though  I  dare  say  you  took  leave  of  the 
wife,  blessed  the  children,  over-hauled  the  will,  and  sent  to 
ask  a  good  word  from  the  priest,  before  you  came  abroad  ? " 


30  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

"  Had  these  ceremonies  been  observed,  the  danger  would 
not  have  been  increased/'  said  the  young  Patroon,  anxious 
to  steal  a  glance  at  la  belle  Barberie,  though  his  timidity 
caused  him,  in  truth,  to  look  the  other  way.  "One  is 
never  nearer  danger,  for  being  prepared  to  meet  it." 

"True;  we  must  all  die  when  the  reckoning  is  out. 
Hang  or  drown — gibbet  or  bullet  clears  the  world  of  a 
great  deal  of  rubbish,  or  the  decks  would  get  to  be  so 
littered  that  the  vessel  could  not  be  worked.  The  last 
cruise  is  the  longest  of  all  ;  and  honest  papers,  with  a  clean 
bill  of  health,  may  help  a  man  into  port,  when  he  is  past 
keeping  the  open  sea.  How  now,  skipper!  what  lies  are 
floating  about  the  docks  this  morning  ?  when  did  the  last 
Albanyman  get  his  tub  down  the  river  ?  or  whose  gelding 
has  been  ridden  to  death  in  chase  of  a  witch  ?" 

"  The  devil's  babes  !  "  muttered  the  Alderman  ;  "there's 
no  want  of  roisterers  to  torment  such  innocents ! " 

"  Have  the  buccaneers  taken  to  praying,  or  does  their 
trade  thrive  in  this  heel  of  the  war?"  continued  the 
mariner  of  the  India-shawl,  disregarding  the  complaint  of 
the  burgher.  "The  times  are  getting  heavy  for  men  of 
metal,  as  may  be  seen  by  the  manner  in  which  yon  cruiser 
wears  out  her  ground-tackle,  instead  of  trying  the  open 
sea.  May  I  spring  every  spar  I  carry,  but  I  would  have 
the  boat  out,  and  give  her  an  airing  before  to-morrow,  if 
the  Queen  would  condescend  to  put  your  humble  servant 
in  charge  of  the  craft  !  The  man  lies  there  at  his  anchors 
as  if  he  had  a  good  freight  of  real  Hollands  in  his  hold,  and 
was  waiting  for  a  few  bales  of  beaver-skins  to  barter  for  his 
strong  waters." 

As  the  stranger  coolly  expressed  his  opinion  of  her 
Majesty's  ship  Coquette,  he  rolled  his  glance  over  the 
persons  of  his  companions,  suffering  it  to  rest  for  a  mo 
ment,  with  a  secret  significance,  on  the  steady  eye  of  the 
burgher. 

"Well,"  he  continued,  "  the  sloop  answers  for  a  floating 
vane  to  tell  which  way  the  tide  is  running,  if  she  does 
nothing  better ;  and  that  must  be  a  great  assistance,  skip 
per,  in  the  navigation  of  one  who  keeps  as  bright  a  lookout 
on  the  manner  in  which  the  world  whirls  round  as  a  gentle 
man  of  your  sagacity." 

"  If  the  news  in  the  creek  be  true,"  rejoined  the  unoffend- 
ed  owner  of  the  periagua,  "there  will  be  other  business 
for  Captain  Ludlow  and  the  Coquette  before  many  days  !  " 


THE  WATER-WITCH.  31 

"  Ah  !  having  eaten  all  his  meat  and  bread,  the  man  will 
be  obliged  to  victual  his  ship  anew.  'Twere  a  pity  so 
active  a  gentleman  should  keep  a  fast  in  a  brisk  tide's- 
way.  And  when  his  coppers  are  once  more  filled,  and  the 
dinner  is  fairly  eaten,  what  dost  think  will  be  his  next 
duty?" 

''  There  is  a  report  among  the  boatmen  of  the  South  Bay, 
that  something  was  seen  yester'night  off  the  outer  side  of 
Long  Island  !  " 

"I'll  answer  for  the  truth  of  that  rumor,  for  having 
come  up  with  the  evening  flood,  I  saw  it  myself." 

"  Der  duyvel's  luck  !  and  what  dost  take  it  to  be  ?  " 

"  The  Atlantic  Ocean  ;  if  you  doubt  my  word,  I  appeal 
to  this  well-ballasted  old  gentleman,  who,  being  a  school 
master,  is  able  to  give  you  latitude  and  longitude  for  its 
truth." 

"  I  am  Alderman  Van  Beverout,"  muttered  the  object 
of  this  new  attack  between  the  teeth,  though  apparently 
but  half-disposed  to  notice  one  who  set  so  little  bounds  to 
his  discourse. 

"  I  beg  a  thousand  pardons  ! "  returned  the  strange  sea 
man,  with  a  grave  inclination  of  his  body.  "  The  stolidity 
of  your  worship's  countenance  deceived  me.  It  may  be, 
indeed,  unreasonable  to  expect  any  alderman  to  know  the 
position  of  the  Atlantic  Ocean  !  And  yet,  gentlemen,  on 
the  honor  of  a  man  wTho  has  seen  much  salt  water  in  his 
time,  I  do  assure  you  the  sea  I  speak  of  is  actually  there. 
If  there  be  anything  on  it,  or  in  it,  that  should  not  be  in 
reason,  this  worthy  commander  of  the  perigua  will  let  us 
know  the  rest." 

"  A  wood-boat  from  the  inlet  says  the  Skimmer  of  the 
Seas  was  lately  seen  standing  along  the  coast,"  returned 
the  ferryman,  in  the  tone  of  one  who  is  certain  of  deliver 
ing  matter  of  general  interest. 

"  Your  true  sea-dog,  who  runs  in  and  out  of  inlets,  is  a 
man  for  marvels,"  coolly  observed  the  stranger.  "They 
know  the  color  of  the  sea  at  night,  and  are  for  ever  steer 
ing  in  the  wind's  eye  in  search  of  adventures.  I  wonder 
more  of  them  are  not  kept  at  making  almanacs !  There 
was  a  mistake  concerning  a  thunder-storm  in  the  last  I 
bought,  and  all  for  the  want  of  proper  science.  And  pray, 
friend,  who  is  this  Skimmer  of  the  Seas,  that  is  said  to  be 
running  after  his  needle,  like  a  tailor  who  has  found  a 
hole  in  his  neighbor's  coat  ?  " 


32  THE   WATER- WITCH. 

"  The  witches  may  tell !  I  only  know  that  such  a  rover 
there  is,  and  that  he  is  here  to-day,  and  there  to-morrow. 
Some  say  it  is  only  a  craft  of  mist  that  skims  the  top  of 
the  seas  like  sailing  water-fowl ;  and  others  think  it  is  the 
sprite  of  a  vessel  that  was  rifled  and  burned  by  Kidd  in 
the  Indian  Ocean,  looking  for  its  gold  and  the  killed.  I 
saw  him  once  myself,  but  the  distance  was  so  great,  and 
his  manoeuvres  were  so  unnatural,  that  I  could  hardly  give 
a  good  account  of  his  hull  or  rig." 

"  This  is  matter  that  don't  get  into  the  log  every  watch  ! 
Where-away,  or  in  what  seas  didst  meet  the  thing  ? " 

"  'Twas  off  the  Branch.  We  were  fishing  in  thick  weather, 
and  when  the  mist  lifted  a  little,  there  was  a  craft  seen 
standing  in  shore,  running  like  a  race-horse  ;  but  while 
we  got  our  anchor,  she  had  made  a  league  of  offing  on  the 
other  tack  ! " 

"  A  certain  proof  of  either  her  or  your  activity  !  But 
what  might  have  been  the  form  and  shape  of  your  fly 
away  ? " 

"Nothing  determined.  To  one  she  seemed  a  full-rigged 
and  booming  ship  ;  another  took  her  for  a  Bermudian. 
scudder ;  while  to  me  she  had  the  look  of  twenty  periaguas 
built  into  a  single  craft.  It  is  well  known,  however,  that 
a  West-Indiaman  went  to  sea  that  night,  and  though  it  is 
now  three  years,  no  tidings  of  her  crew  have  ever  come  to 
any  in  New  York.  I  have  never  gone  upon  the  banks  to 
fish  since  that  day  in  thick  weather." 

"  You  have  done  well,"  observed  the  stranger.  "  I  have 
seen  many  wonderful  sights  myself  on  the  rolling  ocean  ; 
and  he  whose  business  it  is  to  lay  between  wind  and  water 
like  you,  my  friend,  should  never  trust  himself  within  reach 
of  one  of  those  devil's  flyers.  I  could  tell  you  a  tale  of  an 
affair  in  the  calm  latitudes,  under  the  burning  sun,  that 
would  be  a  lesson  to  all  of  overbold  curiosity  !  Com 
mission  and  character  are  not  affairs  for  your  in-shore 
coasters." 

"We  have  time  to  hear  it,"  observed  the  Patroon,  whose 
attention  had  been  excited  by  the  discourse,  and  who  read 
in  the  dark  eye  of  Alida  that  she  felt  an  interest  in  the  ex 
pected  narrative. 

But  the  countenance  of  the  stranger  suddenly  grew  se 
rious.  He  shook  his  head  like  one  who  had  sufficient 
reasons  for  his  silence  ;  and  relinquishing  the  tiller,  he 
quite  coolly  obliged  a  gaping  countryman  in  the  centre  of 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  33 

the  boat  to  yield  his  place,  where  he  laid  his  own  athletic 
form  at  full  length,  folded  his  arms  on  his  breast,  and  shut 
his  eyes.  In  less  than  five  minutes  all  within  hearing  had 
audible  evidence  that  this  extraordinary  son  of  the  ocean 
was  in  a  sound  sleep. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Be  patient,  for  the  prize  I'll  bring  thee  to, 
Shall  hoodwink  this  mischance. — Tempest. 

THE  air,  audacity,  and  language  of  the  unknown  mariner 
had  produced  a  marked  sensation  among  the  passengers 
of  the  periagua.  It  was  plain  by  the  playfulness  that 
lurked  about  the  coal-black  eye  of  the  belle  Barberie,  that 
she  had  been  amused  by  his  sarcasms,  though  the  bold 
ness  of  his  manner  had  caused  her  to  maintain  the  reserve 
which  she  believed  necessary  to  her  sex  and  condition. 
The  Patroon  studied  the  countenance  of  his  mistress,  and 
though  half  offended  by  the  freedom  of  the  intruder,  he 
had  believed  it  wisest  to  tolerate  his  liberties,  as  the  natur 
al  excesses  of  a  spirit  that  had  been  lately  released  from 
the  monotony  of  a  sea-life.  The  repose  which  usually 
reigned  in  the  countenance  of  the  Alderman  had  been  a 
little  troubled  ;  but  he  succeeded  in  concealing  his  discon 
tent  from  any  impertinent  observation.  When  the  chief 
actor  in  the  foregoing  scene,  therefore,  saw  fit  to  with 
draw,  the  usual  tranquility  was  restored,  and  his  presence 
appeared  to  be  forgotten. 

An  ebbing  tide  and  a  freshening  breeze  quickly  carried 
the  periagua  past  the  smaller  islands  of  the  bay,  and 
brought  the  cruiser  called  the  Coquette  more  distinctly 
into  view.  This  vessel,  a  ship  of  twenty  guns,  lay  abreast 
of  the  hamlet  on  the  shores  of  Staten  Island,  which  was 
the  destination  of  the  ferry-boat.  Here  was  the  usual  an 
chorage  of  outward  bound  ships  which  awaited  a  change 
of  wind  ;  and  it  was  here  that  vessels  then,  as  in  our 
times,  were  subjected  to  those  examinations  and  delays 
which  are  imposed  for  the  safety  of  the  inhabitants  of  the 
city.  The  Coquette  was  alone,  however ;  for  the  arrival 
of  a  trader  from  a  distant  port  was  an  event  of  unfre- 
quent  occurrence  at  the  commencement  of  the  eighteenth 
century. 


34  THE  WATER-WITCH. 

The  course  of  the  periagua  brought  her  within  fifty  feet 
of  the  sloop-of-war.  As  the  former  approached,  a  move 
ment  of  curiosity  and  interest  occurred  among  those  she 
contained. 

"Take  more  room  for  your  Milkmaid,"  grumbled  the 
Alderman,  observing  that  the  skipper  was  willing  to  gratify 
his  passengers  by  running  as  near  as  possible  to  the 
dark  side  of  the  cruiser.  "  Seas  and  oceans !  is  not  York 
Bay  wide  enough,  that  you  must  brush  the  dust  out  of  the 
muzzles  of  the  guns  of  yon  lazy  ship  ?  If  the  Queen  knew 
how  her  money  was  eaten  and  drunk  by  the  idle  knaves 
aboard  her,  she  would  send  them  all  to  hunt  for  free 
booters  among  the  islands.  Look  at  the  land,  Alida, 
child,  and  you'll  think  no  more  of  the  fright  the  gaping 
dunce  is  giving  thee  ;  he  only  wishes  to  show  his  skill  in 
steering." 

But  the  niece  manifested  none  of  the  terror  that  the 
uncle  was  willing  to  ascribe  to  her  fears.  Instead  of  turn 
ing  pale,  the  color  deepened  on  her  cheeks  as  the  periagua 
came  dancing  along  under  the  lee  of  the  cruiser,  and  if  her 
respiration  became  quicker  than  usual,  it  was  scarcely  pro 
duced  by  the  agitation  of  alarm.  The  near  sight  of  the 
tall  masts,  and  of  the  maze  of  cordage  that  hung  nearly 
above  their  heads,  however,  prevented  the  change  from 
being  noted.  A  hundred  curious  eyes  were  already  peep 
ing  at  them  through  the  ports  or  over  the  bulwarks  of  the 
ship,  when  suddenly  an  officer,  who  wore  the  undress  of  a 
•  naval  captain  of  that  day,  sprang  into  the  main  rigging  of 
the  cruiser,  and  saluted  the  party  in  the  periagua  by  wav 
ing  his  hat  hurriedly,  like  one  who  was  agreeably  taken 
by  surprise. 

"  A  fair  sky  and  gentle  breeze  to  each  and  all  ? "  he  cried, 
with  the  hearty  manner  of  a  seaman.  "  I  kiss  my  hand  to 
the  fair  Alida ;  and  the  Alderman  will  take  a  sailor's  good 
wishes  ;  Mr.  Van  Staats,  I  salute  you." 

"  Aye,"  muttered  the  burgher,  "your  idlers  have  nothing 
better  to  do  than  to  make  words  answer  for  deeds.  A  lazy 
war  and  a  distant  enemy  make  you  seamen  the  lords  of  the 
land,  Captain  Ludlow." 

Alida  blushed  still  deeper,  hesitated,  and  then  by  a  move 
ment  that  was  half  involuntary,  she  waved  her  handker 
chief.  The  young  Patroon  arose,  and  answered  the  saluta 
tion  by  a  courteous  bow.  By  this  time  the  ferry-boat  was 
nearly  past  the  ship,  and  the  scowl  was  quitting  the  face  of 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  35 

the  Alderman,  when  the  mariner  of  the  India-shawl  sprang 
to  his  feet,  and  in  a  moment  he  stood  again  in  the  centre 
of  the  party. 

"  A  pretty  sea-boat,  and  a  neat  show  aloft  ! "  he  said,  as 
his  understanding  eye  scanned  the  rigging  of  the  royal 
cruiser,  taking  the  tiller  at  the  same  time,  with  all  his 
former  indifference,  from  the  hands  of  the  skipper.  "  Her 
Majesty  should  have  good  service  from  such  a  racer,  and 
no  doubt  the  youth  in  her  rigging  is  a  man  to  get  the  most 
out  of  his  craft.  We'll  take  another  observation.  Draw 
away  your  head-sheets,  boy." 

The  stranger  put  the  helm  a-lee  while  speaking,  and  by 
the  time  the  order  he  had  given  was  uttered,  the  quick- 
working  boat  was  about  and  nearly  filled  on  the  other  tack. 
In  another  minute  she  was  again  brushing  along  the  side 
of  the  sloop-of-war.  A  common  complaint  against  this 
hardy  interference  with  the  regular  duty  of  the  boat  was 
about  to  break  out  of  the  lips  of  the  Alderman  and  the 
skipper,  when  he  of  the  India-shawl  lifted  his  cap  and  ad 
dressed  the  officer  in  the  rigging  with  all  the  self-posses 
sion  he  had  manifested  in  the  intercourse  with  those  nearer 
his  person. 

"  Has  her  Majesty  need  of  a  man  in  her  service  who  has 
seen,  in  his  time,  more  blue  water  than  hard  ground  ;  or  is 
there  no  empty  berth,  in  so  gallant  a  cruiser,  for  one  who 
must  do  a  seaman's  duty  or  starve  ?" 

The  descendant  of  the  king-hating  Ludlows,  as  the  Lord 
Cornbury  had  styled  the  race  of  the  commander  of  the 
Coquette,  was  quite  as  much  surprised  by  the  appearance 
of  him  who  put  this  question,  as  he  was  by  the  coolness 
with  which  a  mariner  of  ordinary  condition  presumed  to 
address  an  officer  who  bore  so  high  a  commission  as  his 
own.  He  had,  however,  sufficient  time  to  recollect  in 
whose  presence  he  stood,  ere  he  replied,  for  the  stranger 
had  again  placed  the  helm  a-lee,  and  caused  the  foresail  to 
be  thrown  back — a  change  that  made  the  periagua  sta 
tionary. 

"  The  Queen  will  always  receive  a  bold  mariner  in  her 
pay,  if  he  come  prepared  to  serve  with  skill  and  fidelity," 
he  said,  "  as  a  proof  of  which,  let  a  rope  be  thrown  the 
periagua  ;  we  shall  treat  more  at  our  ease  under  her  Maj 
esty's  pennant.  I  shall  be  proud  to  entertain  Alderman 
Van  Beverout,  in  the  meantime  ;  and  a  cutter  will  always 
be  at  his  command  when  he  shall  have  occasion  to  quit  us." 


36  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

"Your  land-loving  aldermen  find  their  way  from  a 
queen's  cruiser  to  the  shore  more  easily  than  a  seaman  of 
twenty  years'  experience,"  returned  the  other,  without 
giving  the  burgher  time  to  express  his  thanks  for  the 
polite  offer  of  the  other.  "  You  have  gone  through  the 
Gibraltar  passage,  without  doubt,  noble  Captain,  being  a 
gentleman  that  has  got  so  fine  a  boat  under  his  orders  ? " 

"Duty  has  taken  me  into  the  Italian  seas  more  than 
once,"  answered  Ludlow,  half  disposed  to  resent  his  famil 
iarity,  though  anxious  to  keep  the  periagua  near,  to  quar 
rel  with  him  who  so  evidently  had  produced  the  unex 
pected  pleasure. 

"  Then  you  know  that,  though  a  lady  might  fan  a  ship 
through  the  straits  eastward,  it  needs  a  Levant-breeze  to 
bring  her  out  again.  Her  Majesty's  pennants  are  long, 
and  when  they  get  foul  around  the  limbs  of  a  thoroughly- 
bred  sea-dog,  it  passes  all  his  art  to  clear  the  jam.  It  is 
most  worthy  of  remark,  that  the  better  the  seaman,  the 
less  his  power  to  cast  loose  the  knot ! " 

"  If  the  pennant  be  so  long,  it  may  reach  farther  than 
you  wish  !  But  a  bold  volunteer  has  no  occasion  to  dread 
a  press." 

"  I  fear  the  berth  I  wish  is  filled,"  returned  the  other, 
curling  his  lip  ;  "  let  draw  the  fore-sheet,  lad  ;  we  will 
take  our  departure,  leaving  the  fly  of  the  pennant  well 
under  our  lee.  Adieu,  brave  Captain  ;  when  you  have 
need  of  a  thorough  rover  and  dream  of  stern-chases  and 
wet  sails,  think  of  him  who  visited  your  ship  at  her  lazy 
moorings." 

Ludlow  bit  his  lips,  and  though  his  fine  face  reddened 
to  the  temples,  he  met  the  arch  glances  of  Alida,  and 
laughed.  But  he  who  had  so  hardily  braved  the  resent 
ment  of  a  man  powerful  as  the  commander  of  a  royal 
cruiser  in  a  British  colony,  appeared  to  understand  the 
hazard  of  his  situation. 

The  periagua  whirled  round  on  her  heel,  and  the  next 
minute  it  was  bending  to  the  breeze,  and  dashing  through 
the  little  waves  toward  the  shore.  Three  boats  left  the 
cruiser  at  the  same  moment.  One,  which  evidently  con 
tained  her  captain,  advanced  with  the  usual  dignified 
movement  of  a  barge  landing  an  officer  of  rank,  but  the 
others  were  urged  ahead  with  all  the  earnestness  of  a  hot 
chase. 

"Unless    disposed    to  serve  the  Queen,  you  have  not 


THE   WATER-WITCH. 


37 


done  well,  my  friend,  to  brave  one  of  her  commanders  at 
the  muzzles  of  his  guns,"  observed  the  Patroon  so  soon 
as  the  state  of  the  case  became  too  evident  to  doubt  the 
intentions  of  the  man-of-war's-men. 

"That  Captain  Ludlow  would  gladly  take  some  of  us 
out  of  this  boat,  by  fair  means  or  by  foul,  is  a  fact  clear  as 
a  bright  star  in  a  cloudless  night,  and  well-knowing  a  sea 
man's  duty  to  his  superiors,  I  shall  leave  him  to  his  choice." 

"  In  which  case  you  will  shortly  eat  her  Majesty's 
bread,"  pithily  returned  the  Alderman. 

"The  food  is  unpalatable,  and  I  reject  it  ;  yet  here  is  a 
boat  whose  crews  seem  determined  to  make  one  swallow 
worse  fare." 

The  unknown  mariner  ceased  speaking,  for  the  situation 
of  the  periagua  was  truly  getting  to  be  a  little  critical.  At 
least,  so  it  seemed  to  the  less-instructed  landsmen  who 
were  witnesses  of  this  unexpected  rencontre.  As  the 
ferry-boat  had  drawn  in  with  the  island,  the  wind  hauled 
up  through  the  pass  which  communicates  with  the 
outer  bay,  and  it  became  necessary  to  heave  about  twice, 
in  order  to  fetch  to  windward  of  the  usual  landing-place. 
The  first  of  these  manoeuvres  had  been  executed,  and  as  it 
necessarily  changed  their  course,  the  passengers  saw  that 
the  cutter  to  which  the  stranger  alluded  was  enabled  to 
get  within-shore  of  them,  or  nearer  to  the  wharf  where 
they  ought  to  land  than  they  were  themselves.  Instead  of 
suffering  himself  to  be  led  off  by  a  pursuit  that  he  knew 
might  easily  be  rendered  useless,  the  officer  who  com 
manded  this  boat  cheered  his  men,  and  pulled  swiftly  to 
the  point  of  debarkation.  On  the  other  hand  a  second 
cutter,  which  had  already  reached  the  line  of  the  periagua's 
course,  lay  on  its  oars  and  awaited  its  approach.  The  un 
known  mariner  manifested  no  intention  to  avoid  the  inter 
view.  He  still  held  the  tiller  and  as  effectually  com 
manded  the  little  vessel  as  if  his  authority  wrere  of  a  more 
regular  character.  The  audacity  and  decision  of  his  air 
and  conduct,  aided  by  the  consummate  manner  in  which 
he  worked  the  boat,  might  alone  have  achieved  this  mo 
mentary  usurpation,  had  not  the  general  feeling  against 
impressment  been  so  much  in  his  favor. 

"  The  devil's  fangs  !  "  grumbled  the  skipper.  "  If  you 
should  keep  the  Milkmaid  away,  we  shall  lose  a  little  in 
distance,  though  I  think  the  man-of-wTar's  men  will  be  puz 
zled  to  catch  her,  with  a  flowing  sheet !" 


38  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

"  The  Queen  has  sent  a  message  by  the  gentleman,"  the 
mariner  rejoined ;  "  it  would  be  unmannerly  to  refuse  to 
hear  it ! " 

"  Heave-to  the  periagua ! "  shouted  the  young  officer  in 
the  cutter.  "  In  her  Majesty's  name,  I  command  you, 
obey." 

"  God  bless  the  royal  lady!"  returned  he  of  the  foul 
anchors  and  gay  shawl,  while  the  swift  ferry-boat  contin 
ued  to  dash  ahead.  "  We  owe  her  duty,  and  are  glad  to 
see  so  proper  a  gentleman  employed  in  her  behalf." 

By  this  time  the  boats  were  fifty  feet  asunder.  No 
sooner  was  there  room,  than  the  periagua  once  more  flew 
round  and  commenced  anew  its  course,  dashing  in  again 
toward  the  shore.  It  was  necessary,  however,  to  venture 
within  an  oar's  length  of  the  cutter,  or  to  keep  away — a 
loss  of  ground  to  which  he  who  controlled  her  movements 
showed  no  disposition  to  submit.  The  officer  arose,  and, 
as  the  periagua  drew  near,  it  was  evident  his  hand  held  a 
pistol,  though  he  seemed  reluctant  to  exhibit  the  weapon. 
The  mariner  stepped  aside  in  a  manner  to  offer  a  full  view 
of  all  his  group,  as  he  sarcastically  observed : 

"  Choose  your  object,  sir ;  in  such  a  party  a  man  of  sen 
timent  may  have  a  preference." 

The  young  man  colored,  as  much  with  shame  at  the  de 
grading  duty  he  had  been  commissioned  to  perform,  as 
with  vexation  at  his  failure. 

Recovering  his  self-composure,  however,  he  lifted  his  hat 
to  la  belle  Barberie,  and  the  periagua  dashed  on  in  triumph. 
Still  the  leading  cutter  was  near  the  shore,  where  it  soon 
arrived,  the  crew  lying  on  their  oars  near  the  wharf,  in  ex 
pectation  of  the  arrival  of  the  ferry-boat.  At  this  sight 
the  skipper  shook  his  head,  and  looked  up  into  the  bold 
face  of  his  passenger,  in  a  manner  to  betray  how  much  his 
mind  misgave  the  result.  But  the  tall  mariner  maintained 
his  coolness,  and  began  to  make  merry  allusions  to  the  ser 
vice  he  had  braved  with  so  much  temerity,  and  from  which 
no  one  believed  he  was  yet  likely  to  escape.  By  the  form 
er  manoeuvres  the  periagua  had  gained  a  position  well  to 
windward  of  the  wharf,  and  she  now  steered  close  upon 
the  wind,  directly  for  the  shore.  Against  the  consequences 
of  a  perseverance  in  this  course,  however,  the  skipper  saw 
fit  to  remonstrate. 

"Shipwrecks  and  rocky  bottoms!"  exclaimed  the 
alarmed  waterman.  "A  Holland  galiot  would  go  to 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  39 

pieces,  if  you  should  run  her  in  among  those  stepping- 
stones  with  this  breeze.  No  honest  boatman  loves  to  see 
a  man  stowed  in  a  cruiser's  hold,  like  a  thief  caged  in  a 
prison  ;  but  when  it  comes  to  breaking  the  nose  of  the 
Milkmaid,  it  is  asking  too  much  of  her  owner  to  stand  by 
and  look  on." 

"  There  shall  not  be  a  dimple  in  her  lovely  countenance 
deranged,"  answered  his  cool  passenger.  "Now  lower 
away  your  sails,  and  we'll  run  along  the  shore,  down  to 
yon  wharf.  'Twould  be  an  ungallant  act  to  treat  the 
dairy-girl  with  so  little  ceremony,  gentlemen,  after  the  lit 
tle  lively  foot  and  quick  evolutions  she  has  shown  in  our 
behalf.  The  best  dancer  in  the  island  could  not  have 
better  played  her  part  though  jigging  under  the  music 
of  a  three-stringed  fiddle." 

By  this  time  the  sails  were  lowered,  and  the  periagua 
was  gliding  down  toward  the  place  of  landing,  running 
always  at  the  distance  of  fifty  feet  from  the  shore. 

"  Every  craft  has  its  allotted  time,  like  a  mortal,"  con 
tinued  the  inexplicable  mariner  of  the  Indian-shawl.  "  If 
she  is  to  die  a  sudden  death,  there  is  your  beam-end  and 
stern-way,  which  takes  her  into  the  grave  without  funeral 
service  or  parish  prayers  ;  your  dropsy  is  being  water 
logged  ;  gout  and  rheumatism  kill  like  a  broken  back  and 
loose  joints  ;  indigestion  is  a  shifting  cargo,  with  guns 
adrift ;  the  gallows  is  a  bottomry-bond,  with  lawyers'  fees  ; 
while  fire,  drowning,  death  by  religious  melancholy,  and 
suicide,  are  a  careless  gunner,  sunken  rocks,  false  lights, 
and  a  lubberly  captain." 

Ere  any  were  apprised  of  his  intention,  this  singular 
being  then  sprang  from  the  boat  on  the  cap  of  the  little 
rock,  over  which  the  waves  were  washing,  whence  he 
bounded  from  stone  to  stone,  by  vigorous  efforts,  till  he 
fairly  leaped  to  land.  In  another  minute  he  was  lost  to 
view  among  the  dwellings  of  the  hamlet. 

The  arrival  of  the  periagua,  which  immediately  after 
reached  the  wharf,  the  disappointment  of  the  cutter's 
crew,  and  the  return  of  both  the  boats  to  their  ship,  suc 
ceeded  as  matters  of  course. 


40  THE   WATER- WITCH. 


CHAPTER  V. 

Oliv. — Did  he  write  this  ? 

do. — Aye,  madam.—  Twelfth  Night. 

IF  we  say  that  Alida  de  Barberie  did  not  cast  a  glance 
behind  her  as  the  party  quitted  the  wharf,  in  order  to  see 
whether  the  boat  that  contained  the  commander  of  the 
cruiser  followed  the  example  of  the  others,  we  shall  prob 
ably  portray  the  maiden  as  one  that  was  less  subject  to 
the  influence  of  coquetry  than  the  truth  would  justify. 
To  the  great  discontent  of  the  Alderman,  whatever  might 
have  been  the  feelings  of  his  niece  on  the  occasion,  the 
barge  continued  to  approach  the  shore,  in  a  manner  which 
showed  that  the  young  seaman  betrayed  no  visible  in 
terest  in  the  result,  of  the  chase. 

The  heights  of  Staten  Island,  a  century  ago,  were  cov 
ered,  much  as  they  are  at  present,  with  a  growth  of  dwarf- 
trees.  Foot-paths  led  among  this  meagre  vegetation  in 
divers  directions  ;  and  as  the  hamlet  at  the  quarantine- 
ground  was  the  point  whence  they  all  diverged,  it  re 
quired  a  practised  guide  to  thread  their  mazes  without  a 
loss  of  both  time  and  distance.  It  would  seem,  however, 
that  the  worthy  burgher  was  fully  equal  to  the  office  ;  for, 
moving  writh  more  than  his  usual  agility,  he  soon  led  his 
companions  into  the  wood,  and,  by  frequently  altering  his 
course,  so  completely  confounded  their  sense  of  the  rel 
ative  bearings  of  places,  that  it  is  not  probable  one  of 
them  all  could  very  readily  have  extricated  himself  from 
the  labyrinth. 

"  Clouds  and  shady  bowers  !  "  exclaimed  Myndert,  when 
he  had  achieved,  to  his  own  satisfaction,  this  evasion  of 
the  pursuit  he  wished  to  avoid  ;  "  little  oaks  and  green 
pines  are  pleasant  on  a  June  morning.  You  shall  have 
mountain  air  and  a  sea-breeze,  Patroon,  to  quicken  the 
appetite  of  the  Lust  in  Rust.  If  Alida  will  speak,  the  girl 
can  say  that  a  mouthful  of  the  elixir  is  better  for  a  rosy 
cheek  than  all  the  concoctions  and  washes  that  wrere  ever 
invented  to  give  a  man  the  heart-ache." 

"  If  the  place  be  as  much  changed  as  the  road  that  leads 
to  it,"  returned  la  belle  Barberie,  glancing  her  dark  eye, 
in  vain,  in  the  direction  of  the  bay  they  had  quitted,  "  I 


THE 

should  scarcely  venture  an  opinion 

I  am  obliged  to  confess  utter  ignorance. 

11  Ah,  woman  is  naught  but  vanities 
seen,  is  the  delight  of  the  sex.  Though  we  are  a  thousand 
times  more  comfortable  in  this  wood  than  we  should  be  in 
walking  along  the  water-side,  why,  the  sea-gulls  and  snipes 
lose  the  benefit  of  our  company !  The  salt-water,  and  all 
who  live  on  it,  are  to  be  avoided  by  a  wise  man,  Mr.  Van 
Staats,  except  as  they  both  serve  to  cheapen  freight  and  to 
render  trade  brisk.  You'll  thank  me  for  this  care,  niece  of 
mine,  when  you  reach  the  bluff,  cool  as  a  package  of  furs 
free  from  moth,  and  fresh  and  beautiful  as  a  Holland  tulip, 
with  the  dew  on  it." 

"  To  resemble  the  latter,  one  might  consent  to  walk 
blindfold,  dearest  uncle  ;  and  so  we  dismiss  the  subject. 
Francois,  fais  moi  le  plaisir  de  porter  ce  petit  livre  ;  malgre 
la  fraicheur  de  la  foret,  j'ai  besoin  de  m'evanter." 

The  valet  took  the  book  with  an  empressement  that  de 
feated  the  more  tardy  politeness  of  the  Patroon  ;  and  when 
he  saw,  by  the  vexed  eye  and  flushed  cheek  of  his  young 
mistress,  that  she  was  incommoded  rather  by  an  internal 
than  by  the  external  heat,  he  whispered  considerately — 

"  Que  ma  chere  Mademoiselle  Alide  ne  se  fache  pas ! 
Elle  ne  manquerait  jamais  d'admirateurs,  dans  un  desert. 
Ah  !  si  Mam'selle  allait  voir  la  patrie  de  ses  ancetres  !  •"  , 

"  Merci  bien,  mon  cher  ;  gardez  les  feuilles  fortement 
fermees.  II  y  a  des  papiers  dedans." 

"Monsieur  Francois,"  said  the  Alderman,  separating  his 
niece  with  little  ceremony  from  her  nearly  parental  attend 
ant  by  the  interposition  of  his  own  bulky  person  and  mo 
tioning  for  the  others  to  proceed,  "a  word  with  thee  in 
confidence.  I  have  noted,  in  the  course  of  a  busy  and  I 
hope  a  profitable  life,  that  a  faithful  servant  is  an  honest 
counsellor.  Next  to  Holland  and  England,  both  of  which 
are  great  commercial  nations,  and  the  Indies,  which  are 
necessary  to  these  colonies,  together  with  a  natural  prefer 
ence  for  the  land  in  which  I  was  born,  I  have  always  been 
of  opinion  that  France  is  a  very  good  sort  of  country.  I 
think,  Mr.  Francis,  that  dislike  to  the  seas  has  kept  you 
from  returning  thither  since  the  decease  of  my  late 
brother-in-law  ? " 

"Wid  like  for  Mam'selle  Alide,  Monsieur,  avec  votre 
permission." 

"Your  affection  for  my  niece,  honest  Francois,  is  not  to 


42  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

be  doubted.  It  is  as  certain  as  the  payment  of  a  good 
draft,  by  Crommeline,  Van  Stopper,  and  Van  Gelt,  of  Am 
sterdam.  Ah  !  old  valet !  she  is  fresh  and  blooming  as  a 
rose,  and  a  girl  of  excellent  qualities !  Tis  a  pity  that  she 
is  a  little  opinionated  ;  a  defect  that  she  doubtless  inherits 
from  her  Norman  ancestors  ;  since  all  of  my  family  have 
ever  been  remarkable  for  listening  to  reason.  The  Nor 
mans  were  an  obstinate  race  as  witness  the  siege  of 
Rochelle,  by  which  oversight  real  estate  in  that  city  must 
have  lost  much  in  value  !  " 

"  Mille  excuses,  Monsieur  Bevre' ;  more  beautiful  as  de 
rose,  and  no  opiniatre  du  tout.  Mon  Dieu,  pour  sa  qualite, 
c'est  une  famille  tres  ancienne." 

"  That  was  a  weak  point  with  my  brother  Barberie,  and, 
after  all,  it  did  not  add  a  cipher  to  the  sum  total  of  the  as 
sets.  The  best  blood,  Mr.  Francois,  is  that  which  has  been 
best  fed.  The  line  of  Hugh  Capet  himself  would  fail,  with 
out  the  butcher  ;  and  the  butcher  would  certainly  fail, 
without  customers  that  can  pay.  Francois,  thou  art  a  man 
who  understands  the  value  of  a  sure  footing  in  the  world  ; 
would  it  not  be  a  thousand  pities  that  such  a  girl  as  Alida 
should  throw  herself  away  on  one  whose  best  foundation  is 
no  better  than  a  rolling  ship  ? " 

"  Certainement,  Monsieur  :  Mam'selle  be  too  good  to  roll 
in  de  ship." 

"  Obliged  to  follow  a  husband  up  and  down  ;  among  free 
booters  and  dishonest  traders  ;  in  fair  weather  and  foul ; 
hot  and  cold  ;  wet  and  dry  ;  bilge  water  and  salt  water  ; 
cramps  and  nausea  ;  salt  junk  and  no  junk  ;  gales  and 
calms — and  all  for  a  hasty  judgment  formed  in  sanguine 
youth." 

The  face  of  the  valet  had  responded  to  the  alderman's 
enumeration  of  the  evils  that  would  attend  so  ill-judged  a 
step  in  his  niece,  as  faithfully  as  if  each  muscle  had  been  a 
mirror,  to  reflect  the  contortions  of  one  suffering  under  the 
malady  of  the  sea. 

"  Parbleu,  c'est  horrible,  cette  mer  !"  he  ejaculated,  when 
the  other  had  done.  "It  is  a  grand  malheur,  dere  should 
be  watair  but  for  drink,  and  for  la  proprete,  avec  fosse  to 
keep  de  carp  round  de  chateau.  Mais,  Mam'selle  be  no 
haste  judgment,  and  she  shall  have  mari  on  la  terre  solide." 

"  'Twould  be  better  that  the  estate  of  my  brother-in-law 
should  be  kept  in  sight,  judicious  Francois,  than  to  be  sent 
adrift  on  the  high  seas." 


THE   WATER-WITCH. 


43 


"Dere  vas  marin  dans  la  famille  de  Barberie,  nevair." 

"  Bonds  and  balances  !  if  the  savings  of  one  I  could 
name,  frugal  Francois,  were  added  in  current  coin,  the  sum 
total  would  sink  a  common  ship.  You  know  it  is  my  in 
tention  to  remember  Alida,  in  settling  accounts  with  the 
world." 

"If  Monsieur  de  Barberie  vas  'live,  Monsieur  Alderman, 
he  should  say  des  choses  convenables  ;  mais,  malheureuse- 
ment,  mon  cher  maitre  est  mort ;  and,  saair,  I  shall  be  bold 
to  remercier  pour  lui,  et  pour  tout  sa  famille." 

"Women  are  perverse,  and  sometimes  they  have  pleasure 
in  doing  the  very  thing  they  are  desired  not  to  do." 

"  Ma  foi,  oui  !  " 

"  Prudent  men  should  manage  them  with  soft  words  and 
rich  gifts  ;  with  these  they  become  orderly  as  a  pair  of 
well-broke  geldings." 

"  Monsieur,  know,"  said  the  old  valet,  rubbing  his  hands 
and  laughing  with  the  subdued  voice  of  a  well-bred  domes 
tic,  though  he  could  not  conceal  a  jocular  wink  ;  "  pour- 
tant  il  est  garcon  ?  Le  cadeau  be  good  for  de  demoiselles, 
and  bettair  as  for  de  dames." 

"  Wedlock  and  blinkers  !  it  is  we  gassons,  as  you  call  us, 
who  ought  to  know.  Your  henpecked  husband  has  no  time 
to  generalize  among  the  sex,  in  order  to  understand  the 
real  quality  of  the  article.  Now,  here  is  Van  Staats  of 
Kinder  ho  ok,  faithful  Francois  ;  what  think  you  of  such  a 
youth  for  a  husband  for  Alida  ?" 

"  Pourtant,  Mam'selle  like  de  vivacite  ;  Monsieur  le 
Patroon  be  nevair  trop  vif." 

"The  more  likely  to  be  sure — hist!  I  hear  a  footstep. 
We  are  followed — chased,  perhaps  I  should  say,  to  speak 
in  the  language  of  these  sea  gentry.  Now  is  the  time  to 
show  this  Captain  Ludlow  how  a  Frenchman  can  wind  him 
round  his  finger  on  terra  fir  ma.  Loiter  in  the  rear,  and 
draw  our  navigator  on  a  wrong  course.  When  he  has  run 
into  a  fog,  come  yourself  with  all  speed  to  the  oak  on  the 
bluff.  There  we  shall  await  you." 

Flattered  by  this  confidence,  and  really  persuaded  that 
he  was  furthering  the  happiness  of  her  he  served,  the  old 
valet  nodded  in  reply  to  the  Alderman's  wink  and  chuckle, 
and  immediately  relaxed  his  speed.  The  former  pushed 
ahead ;  and  in  a  minute  he  and  those  who  followed  had 
turned  short  to  the  left,  and  were  out  of  sight. 

Though  faithfully  and  even  affectionately  attached  to 


44  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

Alida,  her  servant  had  many  of  the  qualifications  of  an 
European  domestic.  Trained  in  all  the  ruses  of  his  pro 
fession,  he  was  of  that  school  which  believes  civilization 
is  to  be  measured  by  artifice  ;  and  success  lost  some  of  its 
value  when  it  had  been  effected  by  the  vulgar  machinery 
of  truth  and  common  sense.  No  wonder  then  the  retainer 
entered  into  the  views  of  the  Alderman  with  more  than  a 
usual  relish  for  the  duty.  He  heard  the  cracking  of  the 
dried  twigs  beneath  the  footsteps  of  him  who  followed  ; 
and,  in  order  that  there  might  be  no  chance  of  missing  the 
desired  interview,  the  valet  began  to  hum  a  French  air  in 
so  loud  a  key  as  to  be  certain  the  sounds  would  reach  any 
ear  that  was  nigh.  The  twigs  snapped  more  rapidly,  the 
footsteps  seemed  nearer,  and  the  hero  of  the  India-shawl 
sprang  to  the  side  of  the  expecting  Francois. 

The  disappointment  seemed  mutual,  and  on  the  part  of 
the  domestic  it  entirely  disconcerted  all  his  prearranged 
schemes  for  misleading  the  commander  of  the  Coquette. 
Not  so  with  the  bold  mariner.  So  far  from  his  self-pos 
session  being  disturbed,  it  would  have  been  no  easy  matter 
to  restrain  his  audacity,  even  in  situations  far  more  trying 
than  any  in  which  he  has  yet  been  presented  to  the  reader. 

"  What  cheer  in  thy  woodland  cruise,  Monsieur  Broad- 
pennant  ? "  he  said,  with  infinite  coolness,  the  instant  his 
steady  glance  had  ascertained  they  were  all  alone.  "  This 
is  safer  navigation  for  an  officer  of  thy  draught  of  water, 
than  running  about  the  bay  in  a  periagua.  What  may  be 
longitude,  and  where-away  did  you  part  company  from 
the  consorts  ?" 

"Sair,  I  valk  in  de  vood  for  de  plaisir,  and  I  go  on  de 
bay  for  de — parbleu,  non  !  'tis  to  follow  ma  jeune  maitresse 
I  go  on  de  bay  ;  and,  sair,  I  wish  de  who  do  love  de  bay 
and  de  sea,  would  not  come  into  de  vood,  du  tout." 

"Well  spoken,  and  with  ample  spirit;  what,  a  student, 
too  !  One  in  a  wood  should  glean  something  from  his 
labors.  Is  it  the  art  of  furling  a  main  queue  that  is 
taught  in  this  pretty  volume  ? " 

As  the  mariner  put  his  question,  he  very  deliberately 
took  the  book  from  Francois,  who,  instead  of  resenting  the 
liberty,  rather  offered  the  volume  in  exultation. 

"  No,  sair,  it  is  not  how  to  furl  la  queue,  but  how  to 
touch  de  soul  ;  not  de  art  to  haul  over  de  calm,  but — oui, 
c'est  plein  de  connaissance  et  d'esprit !  Ah  !  ah  !  you 
know  de  Cid  !  le  grand  homme  !  1'homme  de  genie  !  If 


THE  WATER-WITCH.  45 

you  read,  Monsieur  Marin,  you  shall  see  la  vraie  poesie  ! 
Not  de  big  book  and  no  single  rhyme  ;  sair,  I  do  not  vish 
to  say  vat  is  penible,  mais  it  is  not  one  book  widout 
rhyme  ;  it  was  not  ecrit  on  de  sea.  Le  diable  !  que  le  vrai 
genie,  et  les  nobles  sentiments,  se  trouvent  dans  ce  livre,  la ! " 

"  Aye,  I  see  it  is  a  log-book  for  every  man  to  note  his 
mind  in.  I  return  you  Master  Cid,  with  his  fine  senti 
ments  in  the  bargain.  Great  as  was  his  genius,  it  would 
seem  he  was  not  the  man  to  write  all  that  I  find  between 
the  leaves." 

"  He  not  write  him  all !  Yes,  sair,  he  shall  writ  him  six 
time  more  dan  all,  if  la  France  a  besoin.  Que  1'envie  de 
ces  Anglais  se  decouvre  quand  on  parle  des  beaux  genies 
de  la  France  !  " 

"  I  will  only  say,  if  the  gentleman  wrote  the  whole  that 
is  in  the  book,  and  it  is  as  fine  as  you  would  make  a  plain, 
seafaring  man  believe,  he  did  wrong  not  to  print  it." 

"  Print ! "  echoed  Francois,  opening  his  eyes  and  the 
volume  by  a  common  impulse.  "Imprime!  ha!  here  is 
papier  of  Mam'selle  Alide,  assurement." 

"Take  better  heed  of  it,  then,"  interrupted  the  seaman 
of  the  shawl.  "  As  for  your  Cid,  to  me  it  is  an  useless 
volume,  since  it  teaches  neither  the  latitude  of  a  shoal  nor 
the  shape  of  a  coast." 

"Sair,  it  teach  de  morale  ;  de  rock  of  de  passion  et  les 
grands  movements  de  Tame  !  Oui,  sair  ;  it  teach  all  un 
Monsieur  wish  to  know.  Tout  le  monde  read  him  in  la 
France,  en  province  comme  en  ville.  If  sa  Majeste  le 
grand  Louis  be  not  so  mal  avise  as  to  chasser  Messieurs 
les  Huguenots  from  his  royaume,  I  shall  go  to  Paris  to  hear 
le  Cid  moi-meme  !  " 

"A  good  journey  to  you,  Monsieur  Queue.  We  may 
meet  on  the  road,  until  which  time  I  take  my  departure. 
The  day  may  come  when  we  shall  converse  with  a  rolling 
sea  beneath  us.  Till  then,  brave  cheer  !  " 

"Adieu,  Monsieur,"  returned  Francois,  bowing  with  a 
politeness  that  had  become  too  familiar  to  be  forgotten. 
"  If  we  do  not  meet  but  in  de  sea,  we  shall  not  meet  nevair. 
Ah,  ha,  ha  !  Monsieur  le  Marin  n'aime  pas  a  entendre  par- 
ler  de  la  gloire  de  la  France  !  Je  voudrais  bien  savoir  lire 

ce  f e  Shak-a-spear,  pour  voir  combien  I'immortel  Cor- 

neille  lui  est  superieur.  Ma  foi,  oui ;  Monsieur  Pierre 
Corneille  est  vraiment  un  homme  illustre  ! " 

The  faithful,  self-complacent,  and  aged  valet  then  pur- 


46  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

sued  his  way  toward  the  large  oak  on  the  bluff  ;  for  as  he 
ceased  speaking,  the  mariner  of  the  gay  sash  had  turned 
deeper  into  the  woods,  and  left  him  alone.  Proud  of  the 
manner  in  which  he  had  met  the  audacity  of  the  stranger, 
prouder  still  of  the  reputation  of  the  author,  whose  fame 
had  been  known  in  France  long  before  his  own  departure 
from  Europe,  and  not  a  little  consoled  with  the  reflection 
that  he  had  contributed  his  mite  to  support  the  honor  of 
his  distant  and  well-beloved  country,  the  honest  Francois 
pressed  the  volume  affectionately  beneath  his  arm,  and 
hastened  on  after  his  mistress. 

Though  the  position  of  Staten  Island  and  the  surround 
ing  bays  is  so  familiar  to  the  Manhattanese,  an  explanation 
of  the  localities  may  be  agreeable  to  readers  who  dwell  at 
a  distance  from  the  scene  of  the  tale. 

It  has  already  been  said  that  the  principal  communica 
tion  between  the  Bays  of  Raritan  and  York  is  called  the 
Narrows.  At  the  mouth  of  this  passage  the  land  on  Staten 
Island  rises  in  a  high  bluff,  which  overhangs  the  water, 
not  unlike  the  tale-fraught  cape  of  Misenum.  From  this 
elevated  point,  the  eye  not  only  commands  a  view  of  both 
estuaries  and  the  city,  but  it  looks  far  beyond  the  point  of 
Sandy  Hook  into  the  open  sea.  It  is  here  that,  in  our 
own  days,  ships  are  first  noted  in  the  offing,  and  whence 
the  news  of  the  approach  of  his  vessel  is  communicated 
to  the  expecting  merchant  by  means  of  the  telegraph.  In 
the  early  part  of  the  last  century,  arrivals  were  too  rare 
to  support  such  an  establishment.  The  bluff  was  there 
fore  little  resorted  to,  except  by  some  occasional  admirer 
of  scenery,  or  by  those  countrymen  whom  business,  at 
long  intervals,  drew  to  the  spot.  It  had  been  early  cleared 
of  its  wood,  and  the  oak  already  mentioned  was  the  only 
tree  standing  in  a  space  of  some  ten  or  a  dozen  acres. 

It  has  been  said  that  Alderman  Van  Beverout  had  ap 
pointed  this  solitary  oak  as  the  place  of  rendezvous  with 
Francois.  Thither  then  he  took  his  way  on  parting  from 
the  valet,  and  to  this  spot  we  must  now  transfer  the  scene. 
A  rude  seat  had  been  placed  around  the  root  of  the  tree, 
and  here  the  whole  party,  with  the  exception  of  the  ab 
sent  domestic,  were  soon  seated.  In  a  minute,  however, 
they  were  joined  by  the  exulting  Francois,  who  immedi 
ately  related  the  particulars  of  his  recent  interview  with 
the  stranger. 

"A  clear  conscience,  with  cordial  friends,  and  a  fairbal- 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  47 

ance  sheet,  may  keep  a  man  warm  in  January,  even  in 
this  climate,"  said  the  Alderman,  willing  to  turn  the  dis 
course  ;  "  but  what  with  rebellious  blacks,  hot  streets,  and 
spoiling  furs,  it  passeth  mortal  powers  to  keep  cool  in  yon 
der  overgrown  and  crowded  town.  Thou  seest,  Patroon, 
the  spot  of  white  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  bay.  Breezes 
and  fanning  !  that  is  the  Lust  in  Rust,  where  cordial  en 
ters  the  mouth  at  every  breath,  and  where  a  man  has  room 
to  cast  up  the  sum-total  of  his  thoughts  any  hour  in  the 
twenty-four." 

"  We  seem  quite  as  effectually  alone  on  this  hill,  with  the 
advantage  of  having  a  city  in  the  view,"  remarked  Alida, 
with  an  emphasis  that  showed  that  she  meant  even  much 
more  than  she  expressed. 

"  We  are  by  ourselves,  niece  of  mine,"  returned  the  Al 
derman,  rubbing  his  hands  as  if  he  secretly  felicitated  him 
self  that  the  facts  were  so.  "  That  truth  cannot  be  de 
nied,  and  good  company  we  are,  though  the  opinion  comes 
from  one  who  is  not  a  cipher  in  the  party.  Modesty  is  a 
poor  man's  wealth  ;  but  as  we  must  grow  substantial  in  the 
world,  Patroon,  one  can  afford  to  speak  truth  of  himself 
as  well  as  of  his  neighbor." 

"  In  which  case,  little  but  good  will  be  uttered  from  the 
mouth  of  Alderman  Van  Beverout,"  said  Ludlow,  appear 
ing  so  suddenly  from  the  root  of  the  tree,  as  effectually  to 
shut  the  mouth  of  the  burgher.  "  My  desire  to  offer  the 
services  of  the  ship  to  your  party  has  led  to  this  abrupt  in 
trusion,  and  I  hope  will  obtain  its  pardon." 

"  The  power  to  forgive  is  a  prerogative  of  the  Governor, 
who  represents  the  Queen,"  dryly  returned  the  Alderman. 
"  If  her  Majesty  has  so  little  employment  for  her  cruisers, 
that  their  captains  can  dispose  of  them  in  behalf  of  old 
men  and  young  maidens — why,  happy  is  the  age,  and  com 
merce  should  flourish." 

"  If  the  two  duties  are  compatible,  the  greater  the  rea 
son  why  a  commander  should  felicitate  himself  that  he  may 
be  of  service  to  so  many.  You  are  bound  to  the  Jersey 
Highlands,  Mr.  Van  Beverout  ?  " 

"I  am  bound  to  a  comfortable  and  very  private  abode 
called  the  Lust  in  Rust,  Captain  Cornelius  Van  Cuyler 
Ludlow." 

The  young  man  bit  his  lip,  and  his  healthful  but  brown 
cheek  flushed  a  deeper  red  than  common,  though  he  pre 
served  his  composure. 


48  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

"  And  I  am  bound  to  sea,"  he  soon  said.  u  The  wind  is 
getting  fresh,  and  your  boat,  which  I  see  this  moment  is 
standing  in  for  the  island,  will  find  it  difficult  to  make  way 
against  its  force.  The  Coquette's  anchor  will  be  aweigh 
in  twenty  minutes,  and  I  shall  find  two  hours  of  an  ebbing 
tide,  and  a  topgallant  breeze,  but  too  short  a  time  for  the 
pleasure  of  entertaining  such  guests.  I  am  certain  that 
the  fears  of  la  Belle  will  favor  my  wishes,  whichsoever 
side  of  the  question  her  inclinations  may  happen  to  be." 

"  And  they  are  with  her  uncle,"  quickly  returned  Alida. 
"  I  am  so  little  of  a  sailor  that  prudence,  if  not  pusillanim 
ity,  teaches  me  to  depend  on  the  experience  of  older 
heads." 

"  Older  I  may  not  pretend  to  be,"  said  Ludlow,  coloring  ; 
"  but  Mr.  Van  Beverout  will  see  no  pretension  in  believ 
ing  myself  as  good  a  judge  of  wind  and  tide  as  even  he 
himself  can  be." 

"You  are  said  to  command  her  Majesty's  sloop  with 
skill,  Captain  Ludlow,  and  it  is  creditable  to  the  colony 
that  it  has  produced  so  good  an  officer  ;  though  I  believe 
your  grandfather  came  into  the  province  so  lately  as  on 
the  restoration  of  King  Charles  the  Second." 

"  We  cannot  claim  descent  from  the  United  Provinces, 
Alderman  Van  Beverout,  on  the  paternal  side  ;  but  what 
ever  may  have  been  the  political  opinions  of  my  grand 
father,  those  of  his  descendant  have  never  been  questioned. 
Let  me  entreat  the  fair  Alida  to  take  counsel  of  the  appre 
hension  I  am  sure  she  feels,  and  to  persuade  her  uncle 
that  the  Coquette  is  safer  than  his  periagua." 

"  It  is  said  to  be  easier  to  enter  than  to  quit  your  ship," 
returned  the  laughing  Alida.  "  By  certain  symptoms  that 
attended  our  passage  to  the  island,  your  Coquette,  like 
others,  is  fond  of  conquests.  One  is  not  safe  beneath  so 
malign  an  influence." 

"This  is  a  reputation  given  by  our  enemies.  I  had 
hoped  fora  different  answer  from  la  belle  Barberie." 

The  close  of  the  sentence  was  uttered  with  an  emphasis 
that  caused  the  blood  to  quicken  its  movements  in  the  veins 
of  the  maiden.  It  was  fortunate  that  neither  of  their  com 
panions  was  very  observant,  or  else  suspicions  might  have 
been  excited  that  a  better  intelligence  existed  between  the 
young  sailor  and  the  heiress  than  would  have  comported 
with  their  wishes  and  intentions. 

"  I   had  hoped  for  a  different  answer  from  la  belle  Bar- 


THE   WATER-WITCH. 


49 


berie,"  repeated  Ludlow,  in  a  lower  voice,  but  with  even  a 
still  more  emphatic  tone  than  before. 

There  was  evidently  a  struggle  in  the  mind  of  Alida. 
She  overcame  it  before  her  confusion  could  be  noted  ;  and 
turning  to  the  valet  she  said,  with  the  composure  and 
grace  that  became  a  gentle-woman  : 

"  Rends  moi  le  livre,  Francois." 

"  Le  voici — ah  !  ma  chere,  Mam'selle  Alide,  que  ce  Mon 
sieur  le  Marin  se  fachait  a  cause  de  la  gloire,  et  des  beaux 
vers  de  notre  illustre  M.  Pierre  Corneille  !  " 

"  Here  is  an  English  sailor  that  I  am  sure  will  not  deny 
the  merit  of  an  admired  writer,  even  though  he  come  of  a 
nation  that  is  commonly  thought  hostile,  Francois,"  re 
turned  his  mistress,  smiling.  "  Captain  Ludlow,  it  is  now 
a  month  since  I  am  your  debtor,  by  promise,  for  a  volume 
of  Corneille,  and  I  here  acquit  myself  of  the  obligation. 
When  you  have  perused  the  contents  of  this  book,  with  the 
attention  they  deserve,  I  may  hope — " 

"For  a  speedy  opinion  of  their  merits." 

"  I  was  about  to  say,  to  receive  the  volume  again,  as  it  is 
a  legacy  from  my  father,"  steadily  joined  Alida. 

"  Legacies  and  foreign  tongues  !  "  muttered  the  Alder 
man.  "  One  is  well  enough  ;  but  for  the  other,  English 
or  Dutch  are  all  that  the  wisest  man  need  learn.  I  never 
could  understand  an  account  of  profit  and  loss  in  any  other 
tongue  ;  and  even  a  favorable  balance  never  appears  so 
great  as  it  is,  unless  the  account  be  rendered  in  one  or  the 
other  of  the  national  dialects.  Captain  Ludlow,  we  thank 
you  for  your  politeness,  but  here  is  one  of  my  fellows  to 
tell  us  that  my  own  periagua  is  arrived  ;  and,  wishing  you 
a  happy  and  a  long  cruise,  as  we  say  of  lives,  I  bid  you 
adieu." 

The  young  seaman  returned  the  salutations  of  the  party, ' 
with  a  better  grace  than  his  previous  solicitude  to  persuade 
them  to  enter  his  ship  might  have  given  them  reason  to 
expect.  He  saw  them  descend  the  hill,  toward  the  water 
of  the  outer  bay,  with  entire  composure  ;  and  it  was  only 
after  they  had  entered  a  thicket  which  hid  them  from 
view,  that  he  permitted  his  feelings  to  have  sway. 

Then,  indeed,  he  drew  the  volume  from  his  pocket,  and 
opened  its  leaves  with  an  eagerness  he  could  no  longer 
control.  It  seemed  as  if  he  expected  to  read  more,  in  the 
pages,  than  the  author  had  caused  to  be  placed  there  ;  but 
when  his  eye  caught  sight  of  a  sealed  billet,  the  legacy  of 


50  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

M.  de  Barberie  fell  at  bis  feet,  and  the  paper  was  torn 
asunder,  with  all  the  anxiety  of  one  who  expected  to  find 
in  its  contents  a  decree  of  life  or  death. 

Amazement  was  clearly  the  first  emotion  of  the  young 
seaman.  He  read  and  re-read  ;  struck  his  brow  with  his 
hand  ;  gazed  about  him  at  the  land  and  water  ;  re-perused 
the  note  ;  examined  the  superscription,  which  was  simply 
to  "  Capt.  Ludlow,  of  her  Majesty's  ship  Coquette  ; " 
smiled  ;  muttered  between  his  teeth  ;  seemed  vexed,  yet 
delighted  ;  read  the  note  again  word  by  word,  and  finally 
thrust  it  into  his  pocket,  with  the  air  of  a  man  who  had 
found  reason  for  both  regret  and  satisfaction  in  its  con 
tents. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

What,  has  this  thing  appeared  again,  to-night  ? — Hamlet. 

"  THE  face  of  man  is  the  log-book  of  his  thoughts,  and 
Captain  Ludlow's  seems  agreeable,"  observed  a  voice  that 
came  from  one  who  was  not  far  from  the  commander  of 
the  Coquette,  while  the  latter  was  still  enacting  the  panto 
mime  described  in  the  close  of  the  preceding  chapter. 

"'Who  speaks  of  thoughts  and  log-books,  or  who  dares 
to  pry  into  my  movements  ? "  demanded  the  young  sailor, 
fiercely. 

"  One  who  has  trifled  with  the  first  and  scribbled  in  the 
last  too  often  not  to  know  how  to  meet  a  squall,  whether 
it  be  seen  in  the  clouds  or  only  on  the  face  of  man.  As  for 
looking  into  your  movements,  Captain  Ludlow,  I  have 
watched  too  many  big  ships  in  my  time  to  turn  aside  at 
each  light  cruiser  that  happens  to  cross  my  course.  I  hope, 
sir,  you  have  an  answer  ;  every  hail  has  its  right  to  a  civil 
reply." 

Ludlow  could  scarce  believe  his  senses,  when,  on  turn 
ing  to  face  the  intruder,  he  saw  himself  confronted  by  the 
audacious  eye  and  calm  mien  of  the  mariner  who  had  once 
before,  that  morning,  braved  his  resentment.  Curbing  his 
indignation,  however,  the  young  man  endeavored  to  emu 
late  the  coolness  which,  notwithstanding  his  inferior  con 
dition,  imparted  to  the  air  of  the  other  something  that  was 
imposing,  if  it  were  not  authoritative.  Perhaps  the 
singularity  of  the  adventure  aided  in  effecting  an  object 


THE  WATER-WITCH.  51 

that  was  a  little  difficult  of  attainment  in  one  accustomed 
to  receive  so  much  habitual  deference  from  most  of  those 
who  made  the  sea  their  home.  Swallowing  his  resentment, 
the  young  commander  answered  : 

"  He  that  knows  how  to  face  his  enemies  with  spirit 
may  be  accounted  sufficiently  bold  :  but  he  who  braves  the 
anger  of  his  friends  is  foolhardy." 

"  And  he  who  does  neither  is  wiser  than  both,"  rejoined 
the  reckless  hero  of  the  sash.  "  Captain  Ludlow,  we  meet 
on  equal  terms,  at  present,  and  the  parley  may  be  managed 
wTith  some  freedom." 

"  Equality  is  a  word  that  ill  applies  to  men  of  stations 
so  different." 

"  Of  our  stations  and  duties  it  is  not  necessary  to  speak. 
I  hope  that,  when  the  proper  time  shall  come,  both  may 
be  found  ready  to  be  at  the  first,  and  equal  to  discharge 
the  last.  But  Captain  Ludlow,  backed  by  the  broadside  of 
the  Coquette  and  the  cross-fire  of  his  marines,  is  not  Cap 
tain  Ludlow  alone  on  a  sea-bluff,  with  a  crutch  no  longer 
than  his  arm  and  a  stout  heart.  As  the  first,  he  is  like  a 
spar  supported  by  backstays  and  forestays,  braces  and 
standing  rigging  ;  while  as  the  latter,  he  is  the  stick  which 
keeps  his  head  aloft  by  the  soundness  and  quality  of  its 
timber.  You  have  the  appearance  of  one  who  can  go 
alone,  even  though  it  blew  heavier  that  at  present,  if  one 
may  judge  of  the  force  of  the  breeze  by  the  manner  it 
presses  on  the  sails  of  yonder  boat  in  the  bay." 

"Yonder  boat  begins  to  feel  the  wind,  truly  !  "  said  Lud 
low,  suddenly  losing  all  other  interest  in  the  appearance 
of  the  periagua  which  held  Alida  and  her  friends,  and 
which,  at  that  instant,  shot  out  from  beneath  the  cover  of 
the  hill  into  the  broad  opening  of  Raritan  Bay.  "What 
think  you  of  the  time,  my  friend  ?  a  man  of  your  years 
should  speak  with  knowledge  of  the  weather." 

"  Women  and  winds  are  only  understood  when  fairly  in 
motion,"  returned  he  of  the  sash  ;  "  now  any  mortal  who 
consulted  comfort  and  the  skies  would  have  preferred  a 
passage  in  her  Majesty's  ship  Coquette  to  one  in  yonder 
dancing  periagua  ;  yet  the  fluttering  silk  we  see  in  the 
boat,  tells  us  there  is  one  who  has  thought  otherwise." 

"You  area  man  of  singular  intelligence,"  cried  Ludlow, 
again  facing  the  intruder  ;  "  as  well  as  one  of  singular — " 

"Effrontery,"  rejoined  the  other,  observing  that  the 
commander  hesitated.  "  Let  the  commissioned  officer  of 


52  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

the  Queen  speak  boldly  ;  I  am  no  better  than  a  topman, 
or  at  most  a  quartermaster." 

"  I  wish  to  say  nothing  disagreeable,  but  I  find  your 
knowledge  of  my  offer  to  convey  the  lady  and  her  friends 
to  the  residence  of  Alderman  Van  Beverout,  a  little  sur 
prising." 

"  And  I  see  nothing  to  wonder  at  in  your  offer  to  con 
vey  the  lady  anywhere,  though  the  liberality  to  her  friends 
is  not  an  act  of  so  clear  explanation.  When  young  men 
speak  from  the  heart,  their  words  are  not  uttered  in  whis 
pers." 

"  Which  would  imply  that  you  overheard  our  conversa 
tion.  I  believe  it,  for  here  is  cover  at  hand  to  conceal 
you.  It  may  be,  sir,  that  you  have  eyes  as  well  as  ears." 

"  I  confess  to  have  seen  your  countenance  changing 
sides,  like  a  member  of  parliament  turning  to  a  new  leaf 
in  his  conscience  at  the  minister's  signal,  \vhile  you  over 
hauled  a  bit  of  paper — " 

"  Whose  contents  you  could  not  know  !" 

"  Whose  contents  I  took  to  be  some  private  orders,  given 
by  a  lady  who  is  too  much  of  a  coquette  herself  to  accept 
your  offer  to  sail  in  a  vessel  of  the  same  name." 

"  By  heavens,  the  fellow  has  reason  in  his  inexplicable 
impudence  !  "  muttered  Ludlow.  pacing  backward  and  for 
ward  beneath  the  shadow  of  the  tree.  "  The  language  and 
acts  of  the  girl  are  in  contradiction,  and  I  am  a  fool  to  be 
trifled  with,  like  a  midshipman  fresh  broken  loose  from 
his  mother's  apron-string.  Harkee,  Master — a — a —  You've 
a  name,  I  suppose,  like  any  other  straggler  on  the  ocean." 

"  Yes.  When  the  hail  is  loud  enough  to  be  heard,  I 
answer  to  the  call  of  Thomas  Tiller." 

"  Well,  then,  Master  Tiller,  so  clever  a  seaman  should 
be  glad  to  serve  the  Queen." 

"  Were  it  not  for  duty  to  another,  whose  claim  comes 
first,  nothing  could  be  more  agreeable  than  to  lend  a  lady 
in  distress  a  helping  hand." 

"  And  who  is  he,  who  may  prefer  a  claim  to  your  ser 
vices  in  competition  with  the  Majesty  of  these  realms  ?" 
demanded  Ludlow,  with  a  little  of  the  pretension  that, 
when  speaking  of  its  privileges,  is  apt  to  distinguish  the 
manner  of  one  who  has  been  accustomed  to  regard  royalty 
with  reverence. 

"  Myself.  When  our  affairs  call  us  the  same  way,  no  one 
can  be  readier  than  I  to  keep  her  Majesty's  company ;  but — " 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  53 

"  This  is  presuming  too  far,  on  the  trifling  of  a  moment," 

interrupted  Ludlow  ;  4<  you  know,  sirrah,  that  I  have  the 

right  to  command  your  sen-ices,  without  entering  into  a 

parley  for  them  ;  and  which,   notwithstanding   your  gay 

trance,  may,  after  all,  be  little  worth  the  trou: 

"  There  is  no  need  to  push  matters  to  extremity  between 
us.  Captain  Ludlow,"  resumed  the  stranger,  who  had  ap 
ed  to  muse  for  a  moment.     *'  If  I  have  baffled  your 
<;iit  once  to-day,  it  was  perhaps  to  make  my  merit  in 
entering  the   ship  freely  less  undeniable.      We  are   here 

::d  your  honor  will  account  it  no  boasting,  if  I 
that  a  man,  well-limbed  and  active,  who  stands  six  feet 
between  plank  and  carline,  is  not  likely  to  be  led  against 
his  will,  like  a  yawl  towing  at  the  stern  of  a  four-and-forty. 
I  am  a  seaman,  sir ;  and  though  the  ocean  is  my  home,  I 
never  venture  on  it  without  sufficient  footing.  Look 
abroad  from  this  hill,  and  say  whether  there  is  any  craft  in 
view,  except  the  cruiser  of  the  Queen,  which  would  be 
likely  to  suit  the  taste  of  a  mariner  of  the  long  voyage." 

"  By  which  you  would  have  me  understand  you  are  here 
in  quest  of  servi 

Xothing  less  ;  and  though  the  opinion  of  a  foremast 
Jack  may  be  of  little  value,  you  will  not  be  displeased  to 
hear,  that  I  might  look  farther  without  finding  a  prettier 
sea-boat,  or  a  swifter,  than  the  one  which  sails  under  your 
own  orders.  A  seaman  of  your  station,  Captain  Ludlc 
not  now  to  learn  that  a  man  speaks  differently,  while  his 
name  is  his  own,  and  after  he  has  given  it  away  to  the 
crown,  and  therefore  I  hope  my  present  freedom  will  not 
ry  long  remembered." 

"  I  have  met  men  of  your  humor,  before,  my  friend,  and 

I  have  not  now  to  learn,  that  a  thorough  man-of-war's-man 

is  impudent  on  shore  as  he  is  obedient  afloat.     Is  that 

a  sail,  in  the  offing,  or  is  it  the  wing  of  a  sea-fowl,  glittering 

in  the  sun  ?  " 

"It  may  be  either,"  observed  the  audacious  mariner, 
turning  his  eyes  leisurely  toward  the  open  ocean,  "for  we 
have  a  wide  lookout  from  this  windy  bluff.  Here  are  gulls 
sporting  above  the  waves,  that  turn  their  feathers  toward 
the  light" 

11  Look  more  seaward.  That  spot  of  shining  white  should 
be  the  canvas  of  some  craft,  hovering  in  the  offing ! " 

"Nothing  more  probable,  in  so  light  a  breeze.  Your 
coasters  are  in  and  out,  like  water-rats  on  a  wharf,  at  any 


54  TIIK   WATER- WITCH. 

hour  of  the  twenty-four — and  yet  to  me  it  seems  the  comb 
of  a  breaking  sea." 

"Tis  snow--white  duck  ;  such  as  your  swift  rover  wears 
on  his  loftier  spars  !  " 

"A  duck  that  is  flown,"  returned  the  stranger  dryly,  "  for 
it  is  no  longer  to  be  seen.  These  flyaways,  Captain  Lud- 
low,  give  us  seamen  many  sleepless  nights  and  idle  chases. 
I  was  once  running  down  the  coast  of  Italy,  between  the 
Island  of  Corsica  and  the  main,  when  one  of  these  delusions 
beset  the  crew,  in  a  manner  that  hath  taught  me  to  put 
little  faith  in  eyes,  unless  backed  by  a  clear  horizon  and  a 
cool  head." 

"  I'll  hear  the  circumstance,"  said  Ludlow,  withdrawing 
his  gaze  from  the  distant  ocean,  like  one  who  was  satisfied 
his  senses  had  been  deceived.  "  What  of  this  marvel  of  the 
Italian  seas  ?" 

"A  marvel  truly,  as  your  honor  will  confess,  when  I 
read  you  the  affair,  much  in  the  words  I  had  it  logged,  for 
the  knowledge  of  all  concerned.  It  was  the  last  hour  of 
the  second  dog-watch,  on  Easter-Sunday,  with  the  wind 
here  at  southeast  easterly.  A  light  air  filled  the  tipper 
canvas,  and  just  gave  us  command  of  the  ship.  The 
mountains  of  Corsica,  with  Monte  Christo  and  Elba,  had 
all  been  sunk  some  hours,  and  we  were  on  the  yards,  keep 
ing  a  lookout  for  a  landfall  on  the  Roman  coast.  A  low, 
thick  bank  of  drifting  fog  lay  along  the  sea,  in-shore  of 
us,  which  all  believed  to  be  the  sweat  of  the  land,  and 
thought  no  more  of  ;  though  none  wished  to  enter  it,  for 
that  is  a  coast  where  foul  airs  rise,  and  through  which  the 
gulls  and  land-birds  refuse  to  fly.  Well,  here  we  lay,  the 
mainsail  in  the  brails,  the  topsails  beating  the  mastheads, 
like  a  maiden  fanning  herself  when  she  sees  her  lover,  and 
nothing  full  but  the  upper  duck,  with  the  sun  fairly  below 
the  water  in  the  western  board.  I  was  then  young,  and 
quick  of  eye,  as  of  foot,  and  therefore  among  the  first  to  see 
the  sight ! " 

"Which  was — "  said  Ludlow,  interested,  in  spite  of  his 
assumed  air  of  indifference. 

"  Why,  here  just  above  the  bank  of  foul  air,  that  ever 
rests  on  that  coast,  there  was  seen  an  object,  that  looked 
like  ribs  of  bright  light,  as  if  a  thousand  stars  had  quitted 
their  usual  berths  in  the  heaven,  to  warn  us  off  the  land  by 
a  supernatural  beacon.  The  sight  was  in  itself  altogether 
out  of  nature  and  surprising.  As  the  night  thickened,  it 


THE   WATER-WITCH. 


55 


grew  brighter  and  more  glowing,  as  if  'twere  meant  in 
earnest  to  warn  us  from  the  coast.  But  when  the  word  was 
passed  to  send  the  glasses  aloft,  there  was  seen  a  glittering 
cross  on  high,  and  far  above  the  spars  on  which  earthly  ships 
carry  their  private  signals." 

"This  was  indeed  extraordinary  !  and  what  did  you,  to 
come  at  the  character  of  the  heavenly  symbol  ? " 

"We  wore  off  shore,  and  left  it  a  clear  berth  for  bolder 
mariners.  Glad  enough  was  I  to  see  with  the  morning 
sun,  the  snowy  hills  of  Corsica  again  ! " 

"And  the  appearance  of  that  object  was  never  ex 
plained?" 

"  Nor  ever  will  be.  I  have  since  spoken  with  the  mar 
iners  of  that  sea  concerning  the  sight,  but  never  found  any 
who  could  pretend  to  have  seen  it.  There  was  indeed  one 
bold  enough  to  say  there  is  a  church,  far  inland,  of  height 
and  magnitude  sufficient  to  be  seen  some  leagues  at  sea, 
and  that,  favored  by  our  position  and  the  mists  that  hung 
above  the  low  grounds,  we  had  seen  its  upper  works,  loom 
ing  above  the  fogs,  and  lighted  for  some  brilliant  cere 
mony  ;  but  we  were  all  too  old  in  seaman's  experience  to 
credit  so  wild  a  tale.  I  know  not  but  a  church  may  loom, 
as  well  as  a  hill  or  a  ship  ;  but  he  who  pretends  to  say  that 
the  hands  of  man  can  thus  pile  stones  among  the  clouds, 
should  be  certain  of  believers,  ere  he  pushes  the  tale  too 
far." 

"  Your  narrative  is  extraordinary,  and  the  marvel  should 
have  been  looked  into  closer.  It  may  truly  have  been  a 
church,  for  there  stands  an  edifice  at  Rome  which  towers 
to  treble  the  height  of  a  cruiser's  masts." 

"  Having  rarely  troubled  churches,  I  know  not  why  a 
church  should  trouble  me,"  said  the  mariner  of  the  sash, 
while  he  turned  his  back  on  the  ocean,  as  if  indisposed  to 
regard  the  waste  of  water  longer.  "  It  is  now  twelve 
years  since  that  sight  was  seen,  and  though  a  seaman  of 
many  voyages,  my  eyes  have  not  looked  upon  the  Roman 
coast  from  that  hour  to  this.  Will  your  honor  lead  the 
way  from  the  bluff,  as  becomes  your  rank  ?" 

"  Your  tale  of  the  burning  cross  and  looming  church, 
Master  Tiller,  had  almost  caused  me  to  forget  to  watch  the 
movements  of  yon  periagua,"  returned  Ludlow,  who  still 
continued  to  face  the  bay.  "That  obstinate  old  Dutch 
man — I  say,  sir,  that  Mr.  Alderman  Van  Beverout  has 
greater  confidence  in  this  description  of  craft  than  I  feel 


56  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

myself.  I  like  not  the  looks  of  yonder  cloud,  which  is 
rising  from  out  the  mouth  of  Raritan,  and  here,  seaward, 
we  have  a  gloomy  horizon.  By  Heaven  !  there  is  a  sail 
flying  in  the  offing,  or  my  eye  hath  lost  its  use  and  judg 
ment." 

u  Your  Honor  sees  the  wing  of  the  sporting  gull  again  ; 
it  has  been  nigh  to  deceive  my  sight,  which  wrould  be  to 
cheat  the  lookout  of  a  man  that  has  the  advantage  of  some 
ten  or  fifteen  years'  more  practice  in  marine  appearances. 
I  remember  once,  when  beating  among  the  islands  of  the 
China  seas,  with  the  trades  here  at  southeast — 

"Enough  of  your  marvels,  friend;  the  church  is  as 
much  as  I  can  swallow  in  one  morning.  It  may  have  been 
a  gull  ;  for  I  confess  the  object  small ;  yet  it  had  the  steadi 
ness  and  size  of  a  distant  sail.  There  is  some  reason  to 
expect  one  on  our  coast,  for  whom  a  bright  and  seaman's 
watch  must  be  had." 

"This  may  then  leave  me  a  choice  of  ships,"  rejoined 
Tiller.  "  I  thank  your  honor  for  having  spoken,  before  I 
had  given  myself  away  to  the  Queen  ;  who  is  a  lady  that 
is  much  more  apt  to  receive  gifts  of  this  nature  than  to  re 
turn  them." 

u  If  your  respect  aboard  shall  bear  any  proportion  to 
your  hardihood  on  shore,  you  may  be  accounted  a  model 
of  civility  !  But  a  mariner  of  your  pretention  should  have 
some  regard  to  the  character  of  the  vessel  in  which  he 
takes  service." 

"  That  of  which  your  honor  spoke,  is  then  a  bucca 
neer?" 

"  If  not  a  buccaneer,  one  but  little  better ;  a  lawless 
trader,  under  the  most  favorable  view,  and  there  are  those 
who  think  that  he,  who  has  gone  so  far,  has  not  stopped 
short  of  the  end.  But  the  reputation  of  the  Skimmer  of 
of  the  Seas  must  be  known  to  one  who  has  navigated  the 
ocean  long  as  you." 

"  You  will  overlook  the  curiosity  of  a  seafaring  man,  in 
a  matter  of  his  profession,"  returned  the  mariner  of  the 
sash,  with  strong  and  evident  interest  in  his  manner.  "  I 
am  lately  from  a  distant  ocean,  and  though  many  tales  of 
the  buccaneers  of  the  islands  have  been  narrated,  I  do  not 
remember  to  have  heard  of  that  rover,  before  his  name 
came  into  the  discourse  between  me  and  the  skipper  of 
the  boat  that  plies  between  this  landing  and  the  city.  I 
am  not  altogether  what  I  seem,  Captain  Ludlow  ;  and 


THE  WATER-WITCH.  57 

when  farther  acquaintance  and  hard  service  shall  have 
brought  me  more  before  the  eyes  of  my  commander,  he 
may  not  repent  having  induced  a  thorough  seaman  to  en 
ter  his  ship  by  a  little  condescension  and  good  nature 
shown  while  the  man  was  still  his  own  master.  Your 
honor  will  take  no  offense  at  my  boldness,  when  I  tell  you 
I  should  be  glad  to  know  more  of  this  unlawful  trader." 

Ludlow  riveted  his  eyes  on  the  unmoved  and  manly 
countenance  of  his  companion.  There  was  a  vague  and 
undefined  suspicion  in  that  look  ;  but  it  vanished,  as  the 
practised  organs  drank  in  the  assurance,  which  so  much 
physical  promise  afforded,  of  the  aid  of  a  bold  and  active 
mariner.  Rather  amused  than  offended  by  the  freedom  of 
the  request,  he  turned  upon  his  heel,  and  as  they  de 
scended  the  bluff  on  their  way  toward  the  place  of  landing, 
he  continued  the  dialogue. 

"You  are  truly  from  a  distant  ocean,"  said  the  young 
Captain  of  the  Coquette,  smiling  like  a  man  who  apolo 
gizes  to  himself  for  an  act  of  what  he  thought  undue  con 
descension,  "  if  the  exploits  of  a  brigantine  known  by  the 
name  of  the  Water-Witch,  and  of  him  who  commands  her, 
under  the  fit  appellation  of  the  Skimmer  of  the  Seas,  have 
not  yet  reached  your  ears.  It  is  now  five  summers  since 
orders  have  been  in  the  colonies  for  the  cruisers  to  be  on 
the  alert  to  hunt  the  picaroon  ;  and  it  is  even  said,  the 
daring  smuggler  has  often  braved  the  pennants  of  the  nar 
row  seas.  'Twould  be  a  bigger  ship,  if  not  knighthood,  to 
the  lucky  officer  who  should  catch  the  knave  !  " 

"  He  must  drive  a  money-gaining  trade  to  run  these 
risks  ;  and  to  brave  the  efforts  of  so  many  skillful  gentle 
men  !  May  I  add  to  a  presumption  that  your  honor  already 
finds  too  bold,  if  one  may  judge  by  a  displeased  eye,  by 
asking  if  report  speaks  to  the  face  and  other  particulars 
of  the  person  of  this — freetrader,  one  must  call  him, 
though  freebooter  should  be  a  better  word.  " 

u  What  matters  the  personal  condition  of  a  rogue  ?"  said 
Captain  Ludlow,  who  perhaps  remembered  that  the  free 
dom  of  their  intercourse  had  been  carried  as  far  as  com 
ported  with  prudence. 

"  What  matter,  truly  !  I  asked  because  the  description 
answers  a  little  to  that  of  a  man  I  once  knew  in  the  seas  of 
farther  India,  and  who  has  long  since  disappeared,  though 
no  one  can  say  whither  he  has  gone.  But  this  Skimmer 
of  the  Seas  is  some  Spaniard  of  the  Main,  or  perhaps  a 


58  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

Dutchman  come  from  the  country  that  is  awash,  in  order 
to  taste  of  terra  firma." 

"  Spaniard  of  the  southern  coast  never  carried  so  bold  a 
sail  in  these  seas,  nor  was  there  ever  known  a  Dutchman 
with  so  light  a  heel.  The  fellow  is  said  to  laugh  at  the 
swiftest  cruiser  out  of  England  !  As  to  his  figure,  I  have 
heard  little  good  of  it.  'Tis  said,  he  is  some  soured  officer 
of  better  days,  who  has  quitted  the  intercourse  of  honest 
men,  because  roguery  is  so  plainly  written  on  his  face, 
that  he  vainly  tries  to  hide  it." 

"  Mine  was  a  proper  man,  and  one  that  need  not  have 
been  ashamed  to  show  his  countenance  among  his  fellows," 
said  he  of  the  sash.  "This  cannot  be  the  same,  if  indeed 
there  be  any  on  the  coast.  Is't  known,  your  honor,  that 
the  man  is  truly  here  ? " 

"  So  goes  a  rumor  ;  though  so  many  idle  tales  have  led 
me  before  to  seek  the  smuggler  where  he  is  not,  that  I 
give  but  little  faith  to  the  report.  The  periagua  has  the 
wind  more  at  west,  and  the  cloud  in  the  mouth  of  the  Rar- 
itan  is  breaking  into  scud.  The  Alderman  will  have  a 
lucky  run  of  it." 

"And  the  gulls  have  gone  more  seaward — a  certain  sign 
of  pleasant  weather,"  returned  the  other,  glancing  a  quick 
but  keen  look  over  the  horizon,  in  the  offing.  "  I  believe 
our  rover,  with  his  light  duck,  has  taken  flight  among 
them!" 

"  We  will  then  go  in  pursuit.  My  ship  is  bound  to  sea  ; 
and  it  is  time,  Master  Tiller,  that  I  know  in  what  berth 
you  are  willing  to  serve  the  Queen." 

"  God  bless  her  Majesty  !  Anne  is  a  royal  lady,  and 
she  had  a  Lord  High  Admiral  for  her  husband.  As  for  a 
berth,  sir,  one  always  wishes  to  be  captain,  even  though 
he  may  be  compelled  to  eat  his  rations  in  the  lee-scuppers. 
I  suppose  the  first  lieutenancy  is  filled  to  your  honor's 
liking  ? " 

"Sirrah,  this  is  trifling  ;  one  of  your  years  and  experi 
ence  need  not  be  told  that  commissions  are  obtained  by 
service." 

"  Under  favor  ;  I  confess  the  error.  Captain  Ludlow, 
you  are  a  man  of  honor,  and  will  not  deceive  a  sailor  who 
puts  trust  in  your  word  ?" 

"  Sailor  or  landsman,  he  is  safe  who  has  the  gage." 

"Then,  sir,  I  ask  it.  Suffer  me  to  enter  your  ship  ;  to 
look  into  my  future  messmates,  and  to  judge  of  their  char- 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  59 

acters ;  to  see  if  the  vessel  suits  my  humor ;  and  then  to 
quit  it,  if  I  find  it  convenient." 

"Fellow,"  said  Ludlow,  "this  impudence  almost  sur- 
passeth  patience  ! " 

"  The  request  is  reasonable,  as  can  be  shown,"  gravely 
returned  the  unknown  mariner.  "  Now  Captain  Ludlow 
of  the  Coquette  would  gladly  tie  himself,  for  better  for 
worse,  to  a  fair  lady  who  has  lately  gone  on  the  water,  and 
yet  there  are  thousands  who  might  be  had  with  less  diffi 
culty." 

"  Still  deeper  and  deeper  in  thy  effrontery  !  And  what 
if  this  be  true  ?" 

"  Sir,  a  ship  is  a  seaman's  mistress — nay,  when  fairly 
under  a  pennant,  with  a  war  declared,  he  may  be  said  to 
be  wedded  to  her,  lawfully  or  not.  He  becomes  'bone  of 
her  bone,  and  flesh  of  her  flesh,  until  death  doth  them 
part.'  To  such  a  long  compact  there  should  be  liberty  of 
choice.  Has  not  your  mariner  a  taste  as  well  as  your 
lover  ?  The  harpings  and  counter  of  his  ship  are  the  waist 
and  shoulders  ;  the  rigging,  the  ringlets  ;  the  cut  and  fit  of 
the  sails,  the  fashion  of  the  millinery,  the  guns  are  always 
called  the  teeth,  and  her  paint  is  the  blush  and  bloom  ! 
Here  is  matter  of  choice,  sir  ;  and,  without  leave  to  make 
it,  I  must  wish  your  honor  a  happy  cruise,  and  the  Queen 
a  better  servitor." 

"Why,  Master  Tiller,"  cried  Ludlow,  laughing,  "  you 
trust  too  much  to  these  stunted  oaks,  if  you  believe  it  ex 
ceeds  my  power  to  hunt  you  out  of  their  cover  at  pleasure. 
But  I  take  you  at  your  word.  The  Coquette  shall  receive 
you  on  these  conditions,  and  with  the  confidence  that  a 
first-rate  city  belle  would  enter  a  country  ball-room." 

"  I  follow  in  your  honor's  wake  without  more  words," 
returned  he  of  the  sash,  for  the  first  time  respectfully 
raising  his  canvas  cap  to  the  young  commander.  "  Though 
not  actually  married,  consider  me  a  man  betrothed." 

It  is  not  necessary  to  pursue  the  discourse  between  the 
two  seamen  any  further.  It  was  maintained,  and  with 
sufficient  freedom  on  the  part  of  the  inferior,  until  they 
reached  the  shore,  and  came  in  full  view  of  the  pennant  of 
the  Queen,  when  with  the  tact  of  an  old  man-of-war's-man, 
he  threw  into  his  manner  all  the  respect  that  was  usually 
required  by  the  difference  of  rank. 

Half  an  hour  later,  the  Coquette  was  rolling'  at  a  single 
anchor,  as  the  puffs  of  wind  came  off  the  hills  on  her  three 


5o  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

topsails ;  and  shortly  after  she  was  seen  standing  through 
the  Narrows,  with  a  fresh  southwesterly  breeze.  In  all 
these  movements  there  was  nothing  to  attract  attention. 
Notwithstanding  the  sarcastic  allusions  of  Alderman  Van 
Beverout,  the  cruiser  was  far  from  being  idle  ;  and  her 
passage  outward  was  a  circumstance  of  so  common  occur 
rence,  that  it  excited  no  comment  among  the  boatmen  of 
the  bay  and  the  coasters,  who  alone  witnessed  her  depart 
ure. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

I  am  no  pilot ;  yet,  wert  thou  as  far 

As  that  vast  shore  washed  with  the  farthest  sea, 

I  would  adventure  for  such  merchandise. — Romeo  and  Juliet. 

A  HAPPY  mixture  of  land  and  water,  seen  by  a  bright 
moon,  and  beneath  the  sky  of  the  fortieth  degree  of  lati 
tude,  cannot  fail  to  make  a  pleasing  picture.  Such  was 
the  landscape  which  the  reader  must  now  endeavor  to  pre 
sent  to  his  mind. 

The  wide  estuary  of  Raritan  is  shut  in  from  the  winds 
and  billows  of  the  open  sea  by  a  long,  low,  and  narrow 
cape,  or  point,  which,  by  a  medley  of  the  Dutch  and  Eng 
lish  languages,  that  is  by  no  means  rare  in  the  names  of 
places  that  lie  within  the  former  territories  of  the  United 
Provinces  of  Holland,  is  known  by  the  name  of  Sandy 
Hook.  This  tongue  of  land  appears  to  have  been  made 
by  the  unremitting  and  opposing  actions  of  the  waves  on 
one  side,  and  of  the  currents  of  the  different  rivers  that 
empty  their  waters  into  the  bay,  on  the  other.  It  is  com 
monly  connected  with  the  low  coast  of  New  Jersey,  to  the 
south  ;  but  there  are  periods  of  many  years  in  succession, 
during  which  there  exists  an  inlet  from  the  sea,  between 
what  may  be  termed  the  inner  end  of  the  cape  and  the 
main-land.  During  these  periods,  Sandy  Hook  of  course 
becomes  an  island.  Such  was  the  fact  at  the  time  of  which 
it  is  our  business  to  write. 

The  outer  or  ocean  side  of  this  low  and  narrow  bank  of 
sand  is  a  smooth  and  regular  beach,  like  that  seen  on 
most  of  the  Jersey  coast,  while  the  inner  is  indented  in  a 
manner  to  form  several  convenient  anchoring-grounds  for 
ships  that  seek  a  shelter  from  easterly  gales.  One  of  the 
latter  is  a  circular  and  pretty  cove,  in  which  vessels  of  a 


THE  WATER-WITCH.  61 

light  draught  are  completely  embayed,  and  where  they 
may  in  safety  ride  secure  from  any  winds  that  blow.  The 
harbor — or,  as  it  is  always  called,  the  Cove — lies  at  the  point 
where  the  cape  joins  the  main,  and  the  inlet  just  named 
communicates  directly  with  its  waters  whenever  the  pas 
sage  is  open.  The  Shrewsbury,  a  river  of  the  fourth  or 
fifth  class,  or,  in  other  words,  a  stream  of  a  few  hundred 
feet  in  width,  and  of  no  great  length,  comes  from  the 
south  running  nearly  parallel  with  the  coast,  and  becomes 
a  tributary  of  the  bay,  also,  at  a  point  near  the  Cove.  Be 
tween  the  Shrewsbury  and  the  sea,  the  land  resembles  that 
on  the  cape,  being  low  and  sandy,  though  not  entirely 
without  fertility.  It  is  covered  with  a  modest  growth  of 
pines  and  oaks,  where  it  is  not  either  subject  to  the  labors 
of  the  husbandman,  or  in  natural  meadow.  But  the  west 
ern  bank  of  the  river  is  an  abrupt  and  high  acclivity,  which 
rises  to  the  elevation  of  a  mountain.  It  was  near  the  base 
of  the  latter  that  Alderman  Van  Beverout,  for  reasons  that 
may  be  more  fully  developed  as  we  proceed  in  our  tale, 
had  seen  fit  to  erect  his  villa,  which,  agreeably  to  a  usage 
of  Holland,  he  had  called  the  Lust  in  Rust ;  an  appellation 
that  the  merchant,  who  had  read  a  few  of  the  classics  in 
his  boyhood,  was  wont  to  say  meant  nothing  more  nor  less 
than  "  otium  cum  dignitate." 

If  a  love  of  retirement  and  a  pure  air  had  its  influence 
in  determining  the  selection  of  the  burgher  of  Manhattan, 
he  could  not  have  made  a  better  choice.  The  adjoining 
lands  had  been  occupied,  early  in  the  previous  century,  by 
a  respectable  family  of  the  name  of  Hartshorne,  which 
continues  seated  at  the  place  to  the  present  hour.  The 
extent  of  their  possessions  served,  at  that  day,  to  keep 
others  at  a  distance.  If  to  this  fact  be  added  the 
formation  and  quality  of  the  ground,  which  was,  at  so 
early  a  period,  of  trifling  value  for  agricultural  purposes, 
it  will  be  seen  there  wras  as  little  motive  as  there  was  op 
portunity  for  strangers  to  intrude.  As  to  the  air,  it  was 
refreshed  by  the  breezes  of  the  ocean,  which  was  scarcely 
a  mile  distant ;  while  it  had  nothing  to  render  it  unhealthy 
or  impure.  With  this  sketch  of  the  general  features  of 
the  scene  where  so  many  of  our  incidents  occurred,  we 
shall  proceed  to  describe  the  habitation  of  the  Alderman 
a  little  more  in  detail. 

The  villa  of  the  Lust  in  Rust  was  a  low  irregular  edifice, 
in  bricks,  whitewashed  to  the  color  of  the  driven  snow, 


62  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

and  in  a  taste  that  was  altogether  Dutch.  There  were  many 
gables  and  weathercocks,  a  dozen  small  and  twisted  chim 
neys,  with  numberless  facilities  that  were  intended  for  the 
nests  of  the  storks.  These  airy  sites  were,  however,  un- 
tenanted,  to  the  great  admiration  of  the  honest  architect, 
who,  like  many  others  that  bring  into  this  hemisphere 
habits  and  opinions  that  are  better  suited  to  the  other, 
never  ceased  expressing  his  surprise  on  the  subject,  though 
all  the  negroes  of  the  neighborhood  united  in  affirming 
there  was  no  such  bird  in  America.  In  front  of  the  house 
there  was  a  narrow,  but  an  exceedingly  neat  lawn,  encircled 
by  shrubbery  ;  while  two  old  elms,  that  seemed  coeval 
with  the  mountain,  grew  in  the  rich  soil  of  which  the  base 
of  the  latter  was  composed.  Nor  was  there  a  want  of 
shade  on  any  part  of  the  natural  terrace  that  was  occu 
pied  by  the  buildings.  It  was  thickly  sprinkled  with  fruit- 
trees,  and  here  and  there  was  a  pine  or  an  oak  of  native 
growth.  A  declivity  that  was  rather  rapid  fell  away  in 
front  to  the  level  of  the  mouth  of  the  river.  In  short,  it 
was  an  ample  but  an  unpretending  country-house,  in  which 
no  domestic  convenience  had  been  forgotten  ;  while  it  had 
little  to  boast  of  in  the  way  of  architecture,  except  its 
rusty  vanes  and  twisted  chimneys.  A  few  out-houses  for 
the  accommodation  of  the  negroes  were  nigh  and  nearer 
to  the  river  ;  there  were  barns  and  stables  of  dimensions 
and  materials  altogether  superior  to  those  that  the  appear 
ance  of  arable  land,  or  the  condition  of  the  small  farm 
would  seem  to  render  necessary.  The  periagua  in  which 
the  proprietor  had  made  his  passage  across  the  outer  bay, 
lay  at  a  small  wooden  wharf  immediately  below. 

For  the  earlier  hours  of  evening,  the  flashing  of  candles, 
and  a  general  and  noisy  movement  among  the  blacks,  had 
denoted  the  presence  of  the  master  of  the  villa.  But  the 
activity  had  gradually  subsided  ;  and  before  the  clock 
struck  nine,  the  manner  in  which  the  lights  were  distribu 
ted,  and  the  general  silence,  showed  that  the  party,  most 
probably  fatigued  with  their  journey,  had  already  sepa 
rated  for  the  night.  The  clamor  of  the  negroes  had 
ceased,  and  the  quiet  of  deep  sleep  was  already  prevailing 
among  their  humble  dwellings. 

At  the  northern  extremity  of  the  villa  which,  it  will  be 
remembered,  leaned  against  the  mountain,  and  facing  the 
east,  or  fronting  the  river  and  the  sea,  there  stood  a  little 
wing,  even  more  deeply  embowered  in  shrubbery  and  low 


THE   WATER- WfTCH.  63 

trees  than  the  other  parts  of  the  edifice,  and  which  was 
constructed  altogether  in  a  different  style.  This  was  a 
pavilion  erected  for  the  particular  accommodation  and  at 
the  cost  of  la  belle  Barberie.  Here  the  heiress  of  the  two 
fortunes  was  accustomed  to  keep  her  own  little  menage 
during  the  weeks  passed  in  the  country  ;  and  here  she 
amused  herself  in  those  pretty  and  feminine  employments 
that  suited  her  years  and  tastes.  In  compliment  to  the 
beauty  and  origin  of  its  inhabitant,  the  gallant  Francois 
had  christened  this  particular  portion  of  the  villa  la  Cour 
des  Fees,  a  name  that  had  got  into  general  use,  though 
somewhat  corrupted  in  sound, 

On  the  present  occasion  the  blinds  of  the  principal 
apartment  of  the  pavilion  were  open,  and  its  mistress  was 
still  to  be  seen  at  one  of  the  windows.  Alida  was  at  an 
age  when  the  sex  is  most  sensible  of  lively  impressions, 
and  she  looked  abroad  on  the  loveliness  of  the  landscape, 
and  on  the  soft  stillness  of  the  night,  with  the  pleasure 
that  such  a  mind  is  w^ont  to  receive  from  objects  of  natural 
beauty. 

There  was  a  young  moon,  and  a  firmament  glowing  with 
a  myriad  of  stars.  The  light  was  shed  softly  on  the  water, 
though  here  and  there  the  ocean  glittered  with  its  rays. 
A  nearly  imperceptible,  but  what  seamen  call  a  heavy  air, 
came  off  the  sea,  bringing  with  it  the  refreshing  coolness 
of  the  hour.  The  surface  of  the  immense  waste  was  per 
fectly  unruffled,  both  within  and  without  the  barrier  of 
sand  that  forms  the  cape  ;  but  the  body  of  the  element 
was  heaving  and  settling  heavily,  in  a  manner  to  resemble 
the  sleeping  respiration  of  some  being  of  huge  physical 
frame.  The  roar  of  the  surf,  which  rolled  up  in  long  and 
white  curls  upon  the  sands,  was  the  only  audible  sound  ; 
but  that  was  heavy  and  incessant,  sometimes  swelling  on 
the  air  hollow  and  threatening,  and  at  others  dying  in  dull 
and  distant  murmurs  on  the  ear. 

There  was  a  charm  in  these  varieties  of  sound,  and  in 
the  solemn  stillness  of  such  a  night,  that  drew  Alida  into 
her  little  balcony  ;  and  she  leaned  forward  beyond  its 
shadow  of  sweet-brier,  to  gaze  at  a  part  of  the  bay  that 
was  not  visible  in  the  front  view,  from  her  windows. 

La  belle  Barberie  smiled  when  she  saw  the  dim  masts 
and  dark  hull  of  a  ship  which  was  anchored  near  the  end 
of  the  cape,  and  within  its  protection.  There  was  a  look 
of  womanly  pride  in  her  dark  eye,  and  haply  some  con- 


64  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

sciousness  of  womanly  power  in  the  swell  of  her  rich  lip, 
while  a  taper  finger  beat  the  bar  of  the  balcony  rapidly, 
and  without  consciousness  of  its  employment. 

"  The  loyal  Captain  Ludlovv  has  quickly  ended  his 
cruise  !  "  said  the  maiden  aloud,  for  she  spoke  under  the 
influence  of  a  triumph  that  was  too  natural  to  be  sup 
pressed.  "  I  shall  become  a  convert  to  my  uncle's  opinions, 
and  think  the  Queen  badly  served." 

"He  who  serves  one  mistress  faithfully,  has  no  light 
task,"  returned  a  voice  from  among  the  shrubbery  that 
grew  beneath,  and  nearly  veiled  the  window  ;  "  but  he 
who  is  devoted  to  two,  may  well  despair  of  success  with 
both  !  " 

Alida  recoiled,  and  at  the  next  instant  she  saw  her  place 
occupied  by  the  commander  of  the  Coquette.  Before 
venturing  to  cross  the  low  barrier  that  still  separated  him 
from  the  little  parlor,  the  young  man  endeavored  to  read 
the  eye  of  its  occupant  ;  and  then,  either  mistaking  its 
expression,  or  bold  in  his  years  or  hopes,  he  entered  the 
room. 

Though  certainly  unused  to  have  her  apartment  scaled 
with  so  little  ceremony,  there  was  neither  apprehension  nor 
wonderment  in  the  countenance  of  the  fair  descendant  of 
the  Huguenot.  The  blood  mantled  more  richly  on  her 
cheek,  and  the  brightness  of  an  eye  that  was  never  dull, 
increased,  while  her  fine  form  became  firm  and  command 
ing. 

"  I  have  heard  that  Captain  Ludlow  gained  much  of  his 
renown  by  gallantry  in  boarding,"  she  said  in  a  voice 
whose  meaning  admitted  of  no  misconception  ;  "but  I  had 
hoped  his  ambition  was  satisfied  with  laurels  so  fairly  won 
from  the  enemies  of  his  country  !  " 

"A  thousand  pardons,  fairest  Alida,"  interrupted  the 
youth  ;  "you  know  the  obstacles  that  the  jealous  watchful 
ness  of  your  uncle  opposes  to  my  desire  to  speak  with 
you." 

"  They  are  then  opposed  in  vain,  for  Alderman  Van  Be- 
verout  has  weakly  believed  the  sex  and  condition  of  his 
ward  would  protect  her  from  these  coups-de-main." 

"Nay,  Alida;  this  is  being  more  capricious  than  the 
wind  !  You  know  too  well  how  far  my  suit  is  unpleasant 
to  your  guardian  to  torture  a  slight  departure  from  cold 
observances  into  cause  of  serious  complaint.  I  had  hoped 
• — perhaps,  I  should  say,  I  had  presumed  on  the  contents 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  65 

of  your  letter,  for  which  I  return  a  thousand  thanks  ;  but 
do  not  thus  cruelly  destroy  expectations  that  have  so  lately 
been  raised  beyond  the  point,  perhaps,  which  reason  may 
justify." 

The  glow  which  had  begun  to  subside  on  the  face  of  la 
belle  Barberie  again  deepened,  and  for  a  moment  it  ap 
peared  as  if  her  high  self-dependence  was  a  little  weakened. 
After  an  instant  of  reflection,  however,  she  answered 
steadily,  though  not  entirely  without  emotion. 

"  Reason,  Captain  Ludlow,  has  limited  female  propriety 
within  narrow  limits,"  she  said.  "In  answering  your  let 
ter,  I  have  consulted  good  nature  more  than  prudence  ; 
and  I  find  that  you  are  not  slow  in  causing  me  to  repent 
the  error." 

"If  I  ever  cause  you  to  repent  confidence  in  me,  sweet 
Alida,  may  disgrace  in  my  profession,  and  the  distrust  of 
the  whole  sex,  be  my  punishment !  But,  have  I  not  reason 
to  complain  of  this  inconsistency  on  your  part  ?  Ought  I 
to  expect  so  severe  a  reprimand — severe,  because  cold  and 
ironical — for  an  offence,  venial  as  the  wish  to  proclaim  my 
gratitude  ? " 

"  Gratitude ! "  repeated  Alida,  and  this  time  her  wonder 
was  not  feigned.  "The  word  is  strong,  sir;  and  it  ex 
presses  more  than  an  act  of  courtesy,  so  simple  as  that 
which  may  attend  the  lending  a  volume  of  popular  poetry 
can  have  any  right  to  claim." 

"  I  have  strangely  misconceived  the  meaning  of  the  let 
ter,  or  this  has  been  a  day  of  folly  ! "  said  Ludlow,  endeav 
oring  to  swallow  his  discontent.  "  But,  no  ;  I  have  your 
own  words  to  refute  that  averted  eye  and  cold  look  ;  and, 
by  the  faith  of  a  sailor,  Alida,  I  will  believe  your  deliber 
ate  and  well-reflected  thoughts  before  these  capricious 
fancies,  which  are  unworthy  of  your  nature.  Here  are  the 
very  words ;  I  shall  not  easily  part  with  the  flattering 
hopes  they  convey  !  " 

La  belle  Barberie  now  regarded  the  young  man  in  open 
amazement.  Her  color  charged  ;  for  of  the  indiscretion 
of  writing,  she  knew  she  was  not  guiltless — but  of  having 
written  in  terms  to  justify  the  confidence  of  the  other,  she 
felt  no  consciousness.  The  customs  of  the  age,  the  profes 
sion  of  her  suitor,  and  the  hour,  induced  her  to  look  stead 
ily  into  his  face,  to  see  whether  the  man  stood  before  her 
in  all  the  decency  of  his  reason.  But  Ludlow  had  the  rep 
utation  of  being  exempt  from  a  vice  that  was  then  but 

5 


66  THE  WATER-WITCH. 

too  common  among  seamen  and  there  was  nothing  in  his 
ingenuous  and  really  handsome  features  to  cause  her  to 
distrust  his  present  discretion.  She  touched  a  bell,  and 
signed  to  her  companion  to  be  seated. 

"  Francois,"  said  the  mistress,  when  the  old  valet,  but 
half  awake,  entered  the  apartment,  "  fais  moi  le  plaisir  de 
m'apporter  de  cette  eau  de  la  fontaine  du  bosquet,  et  du 
vin — le  Capitaine  Ludlow  a  soif  ;  et  rappelle-toi,  bon  Fran 
cois,  il  ne  faut  pas  deranger  mon  oncle  a  cette  heure  ;  il 
doit  etre  bien  fatigue  de  son  voyage." 

When  her  respectful  and  respectable  servitor  had  re 
ceived  his  commission  and  departed,  Alida  took  a  seat 
herself,  in  the  confidence  of  having  deprived  the  visit  of 
Ludlow  of  its  clandestine  character,  and  at  the  same  time 
having  employed  the  valet  on  an  errand  that  would  leave 
her  sufficient  leisure  to  investigate  the  inexplicable  mean 
ing  of  her  companion. 

"You  have  my  word,  Captain  Ludlow,  that  this  un 
seasonable  appearance  in  the  pavilion  is  indiscreet,  not  to 
call  it  cruel,"  she  said,  so  soon  as  they  were  again  alone  ; 
"  but  that  you  have  it,  in  any  manner,  to  justify  your  im 
prudence,  I  must  continue  to  doubt  until  confronted  by 
proof." 

"  I  had  thought  to  have  made  a  very  different  use  of 
this,"  returned  Ludlow,  drawing  a  letter — we  admit  it  with 
some  reluctance  in  one  so  simple  and  so  manly — from  his 
bosom  :  "  and  even  now,  I  take  shame  in  producing  it, 
though  at  your  own  orders." 

"  Some  magic  has  wrought  a  marvel,  or  the  scrawl  has 
no  such  importance,"  observed  Alida,  taking  a  billet  that 
she  now  began  to  repent  having  ever  written.  "  The  lan 
guage  of  politeness  and  female  reserve  must  admit  of 
strange  perversions,  or  all  who  read  are  not  the  best  inter 
preters." 

La  belle  Barberie  ceased  speaking,  for  the  instant  her 
eye  fell  on  the  paper  an  absorbing  and  intense  curiosity 
got  the  better  of  her  resentment.  We  shall  give  the  con 
tents  of  the  letter,  precisely  in  the  words  which  caused  so 
much  amazement,  and  possibly  some  little  uneasiness,  to 
the  fair  creature  who  was  perusing  it. 

"The  life  of  a  seaman,"  said  the  paper,  in  a  delicate  and 
beautiful  female  hand,  "  is  one  of  danger  and  exposure. 
It  inspires  confidence  in  woman  by  the  frankness  to  which 
it  gives  birth,  and  it  merits  indulgence  by  its  privations. 


THE  WATER- WITCH.  67 

She  who  writes  this  is  not  insensible  to  the  merit  of  men 
of  this  bold  calling.  Admiration  for  the  sea,  and  for  those 
who  live  on  it,  has  been  her  weakness  through  life  ;  and 
her  visions  of  the  future,  like  her  recollections  of  the  past, 
are  not  entirely  exempt  from  a  contemplation  of  its  pleas 
ures.  The  usages  of  different  nations — glory  in  arms — 
change  of  scene — with  constancy  in  the  affections,  all 
sweetened  by  affluence,  are  temptations  too  strong  for  a 
female  imagination,  and  they  should  not  be  without  their 
influence  on  the  judgment  of  man.  Adieu." 

This  note  was  read,  re-perused  and,  for  the  third  time 
conned,  ere  Alida  ventured  to  raise  her  eyes  to  the  face  of 
the  expectant  young  man. 

"And  this  indelicate  and  unfeminine  rhapsody,  Captain 
Ludlow  has  seen  proper  to  ascribe  to  me!"  she  said,  while 
her  voice  trembled  between  pride  and  mortification. 

"  To  whom  else  can  I  impute  it  ?  No  other,  lovely 
Alida,  could  utter  language  so  charming,  in  words  so  prop 
erly  chosen." 

The  long  lashes  of  the  maiden  played  quickly  about 
their  dark  organs  ;  then,  conquering  feelings  that  were 
strangely  in  contradiction  to  each  other,  she  said  with 
dignity,  turning  to  a  little  escritoire  which  lay  beside  her 
dressing-box — 

"My  correspondence  is  neither  very  important  nor  very 
extensive  ;  but  such  as  it  is,  happily  for  the  reputation  of 
the  writer's  taste,  if  not  for  her  sanity,  I  believe  it  is  in  my 
power  to  show  the  trifle  I  thought  it  decorous  to  write,  in 
reply  to  your  own  letter.  Here  is  a  copy,"  she  added, 
opening  what  in  fact  was  a  draught,  and  reading  aloud. 

"  I  thank  Captain  Ludlow  for  his  attention  in  affording 
me  an  opportunity  of  reading  a  narrative  of  the  cruel 
deeds  of  the  buccaneers.  In  addition  to  the  ordinary  feel 
ings  of  humanity,  one  cannot  but  regret,  that  men  so 
heartless  are  to  be  found  in  a  profession  that  is  commonly 
thought  to  be  generous  and  tender  of  the  weak.  We  will, 
however,  hope  that  the  very  wicked  and  cowardly  among 
seamen  exist  only  as  foils  to  render  the  qualities  of  the 
very  bold  and  manly  more  conspicuous.  No  one  can  be 
more  sensible  of  this  truth  than  the  friends  of  Captain 
Ludlow,"  the  voice  of  Alida  fell  a  little  as  she  came  to  this 
sentence,  "who  has  not  now  to  earn  a  reputation  for  mercy. 
In  return,  I  send  the  copy  of  the  Cid,  which  honest  Francois 
affirms  to  be  superior  to  all  other  poems,  not  even  except' 


68  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

ing  Homer — a  book  of  which  I  believe  he  is  innocent  of 
calumniating,  from  ignorance  of  its  contents.  Again 
thanking  Captain  Ludlow  for  this  instance  of  his  repeated 
attentions,  I  beg  he  will  keep  the  volume  until  he  shall 
return  from  his  intended  cruise." 

"  This  note  is  but  a  copy  of  the  one  you  have,  or  ought 
to  have,"  said  the  niece  of  the  Alderman,  as  she  raised 
her  glowing  face  from  leaning  over  the  paper,  "  though 
it  it  is  not  signed,  like  that,  with  the  name  of  Alida  de 
Barberie." 

When  this  explanation  was  over,  both  parties  sat  look 
ing  at  each  other  in  silent  amazement.  Still  Alida  saw,  or 
thought  she  saw,  that,  notwithstanding  the  previous  pro 
fessions  of  her  admirer,  the  young  man  rejoiced  he  had 
been  deceived,  Respect  for  delicacy  and  reserve  in  the 
other  sex  is  so  general  and  natural  among  men,  that  they 
who  succeed  the  most  in  destroying  its  barriers  rarely  fail 
to  regret  their  triumph ;  and  he  who  truly  loves  can  never 
long  exult  in  any  violation  of  propriety  in  the  object  of 
his  affections,  even  though  the  concession  be  made  in  his 
own  favor.  Under  the  influence  of  this  commendable  and 
healthful  feeling,  Ludlow,  while  he  was  in  some  respects 
mortified  at  the  turn  affairs  had  taken,  felt  sensibly  re 
lieved  .from  a  load  of  doubt  to  which  the  extraordinary 
language  of  the  letter,  he  believed  his  mistress  to  have 
written,  had  given  birth.  His  companion  read  the  state  of 
his  mind  in  a  countenance  as  frank  as  the  face  of  sailor 
could  be  ;  and  though  secretly  pleased  to  gain  her  former 
place  in  his  respect,  she  was  also  vexed  and  wounded  that 
he  had  ever  presumed  to  distrust  lier  reserve.  She  still 
held  the  inexplicable  billet,  and  her  eyes  naturally  sought 
the  lines.  A  suden  thought  seemed  to  strike  her  mind,  and 
returning  the  paper,  she  said,  coldly — 

"  Captain  Ludlow  should  know  his  correspondent  bet 
ter  ;  I  much  mistake  if  this  be  the  first  of  her  com 
munications." 

The  young  man  colored  to  the  temples  and  hid  his  face 
for  a  moment  in  the  hollow  of  his  hand. 

"  You  admit  the  truth  of  my  suspicions,"  continued  la 
belle  Barberie,  "and  cannot  be  insensible  of  my  justice 
when  I  add  that  henceforth " 

"  Listen  to  me,  Alida,"  cried  the  youth,  half  breathless 
in  his  haste  to  interrupt  a  decision  that  he  dreaded  ;  ''hear 
me,  and,  as  Heaven  is  my  judge,  you  shall  hear  only  truth. 


THE    WATER- WITCH.  69 

I  confess  this  is  not  the  first  of  the  letters,  written  in  the 
same  hand — perhaps  I  should  say  in  the  same  spirit — but, 
on  the  honor  of  a  loyal  officer,  I  affirm  that  until  circum 
stances  lead  me  to  think  myself  so  happy — so  very 
happy " 

"  I  understand  you,  sir  ;  the  work  was  anonymous,  until 
you  saw  fit  to  inscribe  my  name  as  its  author.  Ludlow  ! 
Ludlow !  how  meanly  have  you  thought  of  the  woman 
you  profess  to  love  !  " 

"  That  were  impossible  !  I  mingle  little  with  those  who 
study  the  finesse  of  life  ;  and  loving,  as  I  do,  my  noble 
profession,  Alida,  was  it  so  unnatural  to  believe  that 
another  might  view  it  with  the  same  eyes  ?  But  since 
you  disavow  the  letter — nay,  your  disapproval  is  unneces 
sary  ;  I  see  my  vanity  has  even  deceived  me  in  the  writing 
— but  since  the  delusion  is  over,  I  confess  that  I  rejoice  it 
is  not  so." 

La  belle  Barberie  smiled,  and  her  countenance  grew 
brighter.  She  enjoyed  the  triumph  of  knowing  that  she 
merited  the  respect  of  her  suitor,  and  it  was  a  triumph 
heightened  by  recent  mortification.  Then  succeeded  a 
pause  of  more  than  a  minute.  The  embarrassment  of  the 
silence  was  happily  interrupted  by  the  return  of  Francois. 

"  Mam'selle  Alide,  voici  de  1'eau  de  la  fontaine,"  said  the 
valet  ;  "mais  Monsieur  votre  oncle  s'est  couche,  et  il  a  mis 
la  clef  de  la  cave  au  vin  dessous  son  oreiller.  Ma  foi,  ce 
n'est  pas  facile  d'avoir  du  bon  vin  du  tout,  en  Amerique, 
mais  apres  que  Monsieur  le  Maire  s'est  couche,  c'est  tou- 
jours  impossible  ;  voila  !  " 

"  N'importe,  mon  cher ;  le  Capitaine  va  partir,  etil  n'a 
plus  soil" 

"  Dere  is  assez  de  jin,"  continued  the  valet,  who  felt  for 
the  Captain's  disappointment,  "  mais  Monsieur  Loodle 
have  du  gout,  an'  he  n'aime  pas  so  strong  liqueur." 

"  He  has  swallowed  already  more  than  was  necessary  for 
one  occasion,"  said  Alida,  smiling  on  her  admirer  in  a  man 
ner  that  left  him  doubtful  whether  he  ought  most  to  repine 
or  to  rejoice.  "  Thank  you,  Francois  ;  your  duty  for  the 
night  shall  end  with  lighting  the  Captain  to  the  door." 

Then  saluting  the  young  commander  in  a  manner  that 
would  not  admit  of  denial,  la  belle  Barberie  dismissed  her 
lover  and  the  valet  together. 

"You  have  a  pleasant  office,  Monsieur  Francois,"  said 
the  former,  as  he  was  lighted  to  the  outer  door  of  the 


70  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

pavilion  ;  "  it  is  one  that  many  a  gallant  gentleman  would 
envy." 

"  Oui,  sair  ;  it  be  grand  plaisir  to  serve  Mam'selle  Alide. 
Je  porte  de  fan,  de  book,  mais  quant  au  vin,  Monsieur  le 
Capitaine,  parole  d'honneur,  c'est  toujours  impossible  apres 
que  1'aldermain  s'est  couche." 

"Aye — the  book — I  think  you  had  the  agreeable  duty, 
to-day,  of  carrying  the  book  of  la  Belle  ? " 

"  Vraiment,  oui !  'Twas  ouvrage  de  Monsieur  Pierre 
Corneille.  On  pretend,  que  Monsieur  Shak-a-spear  en  a 
emprunte  d'assez  beaux  sentiments  !" 

"And  the  paper  between  the  leaves? — you  were  charged 
also  with  that  note,  good  Francois  ? " 

The  valet  paused,  shrugged  his  shoulders,  and  laid  one  of 
his  long  yellow  fingers  on  the  plane  of  an  enormous  aquiline 
nose,  while  he  seemed  to  muse.  Then  shaking  his  head 
perpendicularly,  he  preceded  the  Captain  as  before,  mut 
tering  as  usual,  half  in  French  and  half  in  English — 

"  For  le  papier,  I  know  rein  du  tout ;  c'est  bien  possible, 
parceque,  voyez  vous,  Monsieur  le  Capitaine,  Mam'selle 
Alide  did  say,  Prenz-y  garde  ;  but  I  no  see  him,  depuis. 
Je  suppose  'twas  beaux  compliments  ecrits  on  de  vers  of 
M.  Pierre  Corneille.  Quel  genie  que  celui  de  cet  homme 
la  ! — n'est  ce  pas,  Monsieur  ?" 

"It  is  of  no  consequence,  good  Francois,"  said  Ludlow, 
slipping  a  guinea  into  the  hands  of  the  valet.  "  If  you 
should  ever  discover  what  became  of  that  paper,  however, 
you  will  oblige  me  by  letting  me  know.  Good-night  ; 
mes  devoirs  a  la  Belle  ! " 

"  Bon  soir,  Monsieur  le  Capitaine ;  c'est  un  brave  Mon 
sieur  que  celui-la,  et  de  tres  bonne  famille  !  II  n'a  pas  de 
si  grandes  terres,  que  Monsieur  le  Patteroon,  pourtant,  on 
dit,  qu'il  doit  avoir  de  jolies  maisons  et  assez  de  rentes 
publiques  !  J'aime  a  servir  un  si  genereux  et  loyal  maitre, 
mais,  malheureusement,  il  est  marin  !  M.  de  Barberie 
n'avait  pas  trop  d'amitie  pour  les  gens  de  cette  profes 
sion  la." 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  71 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Well,  Jessica,  go  in  ; 

Perhaps,  I  will  return  immediately  ; 

Do  as  I  bid  you, 

Shut  doors  after  you  ;  Fast  bind,  fast  find  ; 

A  proverb  never  stale,  in  thrifty  mind. — Merchant  of  Venice. 

THE  decision  with  which  la  demoiselle  Barberie  had 
dismissed  her  suitor,  was  owing  to  some  consciousness  that 
she  had  need  of  opportunity  to  reflect  on  the  singular 
nature  of  the  events  which  had  just  happened,  no  less  than 
to  a  sense  of  the  impropriety  of  his  visiting  her  at  that  hour, 
and  in  a  manner  so  equivocal.  But,  like  others  who  act 
from  feverish  impulses,  when  alone  the  maiden  repented  of 
her  precipitation  ;  and  she  remembered  fifty  questions 
which  might  aid  in  clearing  the  affair  of  its  mystery,  that 
she  would  now  gladly  put.  It  was  too  late,  however,  for 
she  had  heard  Ludlow  take  his  leave,  and  had  listened  in 
breathless  silence  to  his  footstep,  as  he  passed  the  shrub 
bery  of  her  little  lawn.  Francois  reappeared  at  the  door, 
to  repeat  his  wishes  for  her  rest  and  happiness,  and  then 
she  believed  she  was  finally  alone  for  the  night,  since  the 
ladies  of  that  age  and  country  were  little  apt  to  require  the 
assistance  of  their  attendants,  in  assuming  or  in  divesting 
themselves  of  their  ordinary  attire. 

It  was  still  early,  and  the  recent  interview  had  deprived 
Alida  of  all  inclination  for  sleep.  She  placed  the  light  in 
a  distant  corner  of  the  apartment,  and  approached  a  win 
dow.  The  moon  had  so  far  changed  its  position,  as  to  cast 
a  different  light  upon  the  water.  The  hollow  washing  of 
the  surf,  the  dull  but  heavy  breathing  of  the  air  from  the 
sea,  and  the  soft  shadows  of  the  trees  and  mountain,  were 
much  the  same.  The  Coquette  lay,  as  before,  at  her  anchor 
near  the  cape,  and  the  Shrewsbury  glittered  toward  the 
south,  until  its  surface  was  concealed  by  the  projection  of 
a  high  and  nearly  perpendicular  bluff. 

The  stillness  was  profound,  for,  with  the  exception  of 
the  dwelling  of  the  family  who  occupied  the  estate  nearest 
the  villa,  there  was  no  other  habitation  within  some  miles 
of  the  place.  Still  the  solitude  of  the  situation  wTas  undis 
turbed  by  any  apprehension  of  danger,  or  any  tradition  of 
violence  from  rude  and  lawless  men.  The  peaceable  char- 


72  THE  WATER-WITCH. 

acter  of  the  colonists  who  dwelt  in  the  interior  country  was 
proverbial,  and  their  habits  simple  ;  while  the  ocean  was 
never  entered  by  those  barbarians  who  then  rendered  some 
of  the  seas  of  the  other  hemisphere  as  fearful  as  they  were 
pleasant 

Notwithstanding  this  known  and  customary  character  of 
tranquillity,  and  the  lateness  of  the  hour,  Alida  had  not 
been  many  moments  in  her  balcony  before  she  heard  the 
sound  of  oars.  The  stroke  was  measured,  and  the  noise 
low  and  distant,  but  it  was  too  familiar  to  be  mistaken. 
She  wondered  at  the  expedition  of  Ludlow,  who  was  not 
accustomed  to  show  such  haste  in  quitting  her  presence, 
and  leaned  over  the  railingto  catch  aglimpse  of  his  departing 
boat.  Each  moment  she  expected  to  see  the  little  bark  issue 
from  out  of  the  shadows  of  the  land,  into  the  sheet  of  bright 
ness  which  stretched  nearly  to  the  cruiser.  She  gazed  long 
and  in  vain,  for  no  barge  appeared,  yet  the  sound  had 
become  inaudible.  A  light  still  hung  at  the  peak  of  the 
Coquette,  a  sign  that  the  commander  was  out  of  his  vessel. 

The  view  of  a  fine  ship,  seen  by  the  aid  of  the  moon, 
with  its  symmetry  of  spars,  and  its  delicate  tracery  of  cord 
age,  and  the  heavy  and  grand  movements  of  the  hull  as  it 
rolls  on  the  sluggish  billows  of  a  calm  sea,  is  ever  a  pleas 
ing  and  indeed  an  imposing  spectacle.  Alida  knew  that 
more  than  a  hundred  human  beings  slept  within  the  black 
and  silent  mass,  and  her  thoughts  insensibly  wandered  to 
the  business  of  their  daring  lives,  their  limited  abode,  and 
yet  wandering  existence,  their  frank  and  manly  qualities, 
their  devotion  to  the  cause  of  those  who  occupied  the  land, 
their  broken  and  interrupted  connection  with  the  rest  of 
the  human  family,  and  finally  to  those  weakened  domestic 
ties,  and  to  that  reputation  for  inconstancy,  which  are 
apparently  a  natural  consequence  to  all. 

She  sighed,  and  her  eye  wandered  from  the  ship  to  that 
ocean  on  which  it  was  constructed  to  dwell.  From  the 
distant,  low,  and  nearly  imperceptible  shore  of  the  island 
of  Nassau,  to  the  coast  of  New  Jersey,  there  was  one  broad 
and  untenanted  waste.  Even  the  sea-fowl  rested  his  tired 
wing,  and  slept  tranquilly  on  the  water.  The  broad  space 
appeared  like  some  great  and  unfrequented  desert,  or 
rather  like  a  denser  and  more  material  copy  of  the  fir 
mament  by  which  it  was  canopied. 

It  has  been  mentioned  that  a  stunted  growth  of  oaks  and 
pines  covered  much  of  the  sandy  ridge  that  formed  the 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  73 

cape.  The  same  covering  furnished  a  dark  setting  to  the 
waters  of  the  cove.  Above  this  outline  of  wood,  which 
fringed  the  margin  of  the  sea,  Alida  now  fancied  she. saw 
an  object  in  motion.  At  first,  she  believed  some  ragged 
and  naked  tree,  of  which  the  coast  had  many,  was  so  placed 
as  to  deceive  her  vision,  and  had  thrown  its  naked  lines 
upon  the  background  of  water,  in  a  manner  to  assume 
the  shape  and  tracery  of  a  light-rigged  vessel.  But  when 
the  dark  and  symmetrical  spars  were  distinctly  seen,  glid 
ing  past  objects  that  were  known  to  be  stationary,  it  was 
impossible  to  doubt  their  character.  The  maiden  wondered, 
and  her  surprise  was  not  unmixed  with  apprehension.  It 
seemed  as  if  the  stranger,  for  such  the  vessel  must  needs 
be,  was  recklessly  approaching  a  surf,  that,  in  its  most 
tranquil  moments,  was  dangerous  to  such  a  fabric,  and 
that  he  steered,  unconscious  of  hazard,  directly  upon  the 
land.  Even  the  movement  was  mysterious  and  unusual. 
Sails  there  were  none,  and  yet  the  light  and  lofty  spars 
were  soon  hid  behind  a  thicket  that  covered  a  knoll  near 
the  margin  of  the  sea.  Alida  expected  each  moment  to 
hear  the  cry  of  mariners  in  distress  ;  then,  as  the  min 
utes  passed  on  and  no  such  fearful  sound  interrupted  the 
stillness  of  the  night,  she  began  to  bethink  her  of  those 
lawless  rovers  who  were  known  to  abound  among  the 
Caribbean  isles,  and  who  were  said  sometimes  even  to  enter 
and  to  refit  in  the  smaller  and  more  secret  inlets  of  the 
American  continent.  The  tales,  coupled  with  the  deeds, 
character,  and  fate  of  the  notorious  Kidd,  wTere  then  still 
recent,  and  although  magnified  and  colored  by  vulgar  ex 
aggerations,  as  all  such  tales  are  known  to  be,  enough  was 
believed  by  the  better  instructed  to  make  his  life  and 
death  the  subject  of  many  curious  and  mysterious  rumors. 
At  this  moment,  she  would  have  gladly  recalled  the  young 
commander  of  the  Coquette,  to  apprise  him  of  the  enemy 
that  was  nigh  ;  then,  ashamed  of  terrors  that  she  was  fain 
to  hope  savored  more  of  woman's  weakness  than  of  truth, 
she  endeavored  to  believe  the  whole  some  ordinary  move 
ment  of  a  coaster,  who,  familiar  with  his  situation,  could 
not  possibly  be  either  in  want  of  aid,  or  an  object  of  alarm. 
Just  as  this  natural  and  consoling  conclusion  crossed  her 
mind,  she  very  audibly  heard  a  step  in  her  pavilion.  It 
seemed  near  the  door  of  the  room  she  occupied.  Breath- 
Jess,  more  with  the  excitement  of  her  imagination  than 
with  any  actual  fear  created  by  this  new  cause  of  alarm, 


74  THE  WATER-WITCH. 

the  maiden  quitted  the  balcony,  and  stood  motionless  to 
listen.  The  door,  in  truth,  was  opened  with  singular 
caution,  and,  for  an  instant,  Alida  saw  nothing  but  a  con 
fused  area,  in  the  centre  of  which  appeared  the  figure  of  a 
menacing  and  rapacious  freebooter. 

"  Northern  lights  and  moonshine  !  "  growled  Alderman 
Van  Beverout,  for  it  was  no  other  than  the  uncle  of  the 
heiress,  whose  untimely  and  unexpected  visit  had  caused 
her  so  much  alarm.  "  This  sky-watching,  and  turning  of 
night  into  day,  will  be  the  destruction  of  thy  beauty,  niece  ; 
and  we  shall  see  how  plenty  Patroons  are  for  husbands  !  A 
bright  eye  and  a  blooming  cheek  are  thy  stock  in  trade, 
girl  ;  and  she  is  a  spendthrift  of  both,  who  is  out  of  her 
bed  when  the  clock  hath  struck  ten." 

"Your  discipline  would  deprive  many  a  beauty  of  the 
means  of  using  her  power,"  returned  la  demoiselle,  smiling, 
as  much  at  the  folly  of  her  recent  fears,  as  with  affection 
for  her  reprover.  "  They  tell  me,  that  ten  is  the  witching 
time  of  night,  for  the  necromancy  of  the  dames  of  Europe." 

"  Witch  me  no  witches  !  The  name  reminds  one  of  the 
cunning  Yankees,  a  race  that  would  outwit  Lucifer  him 
self,  if  left  to  set  the  conditions  to  their  bargain.  Here  is 
the  Patroon,  wishing  to  let  in  a  family  of  the  knaves 
among  the  honest  Dutchmen  of  his  manor ;  and  we  have 
just  settled  a  dispute  between  us,  on  this  subject,  by  mak 
ing  the  lawful  trial." 

"  Which  it  may  be  proper  to  hope,  dearest  uncle,  was 
not  the  trial  by  battle  ?" 

"  Peace  and  olive-branches,  no!  The  Patroon  of  Kinder- 
hook  is  the  last  man  in  the  Americas  that  is  likely  to  suffer 
by  the  blows  of  Myndert  Van  Beverout.  I  challenged  the 
boy  to  hold  a  fine  eel,  that  the  blacks  have  brought  out  of 
the  river  to  help  in  breaking  our  morning  fasts,  that  it 
might  be  seen  if  he  were  fit  to  deal  with  the  slippery 
rogues.  By  the  merit  of  the  peaceable  St.  Nicholas !  but 
the  son  of  old  Hendrick  Van  Staats  had  a  busy  time  of  it ! 
The  lad  gripped  the  fish,  as  the  ancient  tradition  has  it 
that  thy  uncle  clenched  the  Holland  florin,  when  my  father 
put  it  between  my  fingers,  within  the  month,  in  order  to 
see  if  the  true  saving  grace  was  likely  to  abide  in  the  family 
for  another  generation.  My  heart  misgave  me  for  a  mo 
ment  ;  for  young  Oloff  has  the  fist  of  a  vise,  and  I  thought 
the  goodly  names  of  the  Harmans  and  Rips,  Corneliuses 
and  Dircks  of  the  manor  rent-roll  were  likely  to  be  con- 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  75 

taminated  by  the  company  of  an  Increase  or  a  Peleg  ;  but 
just  as  the  Patroon  thought  that  he  had  the  watery  viper 
by  the  throat,  the  fish  gave  an  unexpected  twist,  and  slid 
through  his  fingers  by  the  tail.  Flaws  and  loopholes  !  but 
that  experiment  has  as  much  wisdom  as  wit  in  it ! " 

"  And  to  me,  it  seemeth  better,  now  that  Providence  has 
brought  all  the  colonies  under  one  government,  that  these 
prejudices  should  be  forgotten.  We  are  a  people  sprung 
from  many  nations,  and  our  efforts  should  be  to  preserve 
the  liberality  and  intelligence,  while  we  forget  the  weak 
nesses  of  all." 

"  Bravely  said,  for  the  child  of  a  Huguenot !  But  I  defy 
the  man  who  brings  prejudice  to  my  door.  I  like  a  merry 
trade,  and  a  quick  calculation.  Let  me  see  the  man  in  all 
New  England  that  can  tell  the  color  of  a  balance-sheet 
quicker  than  one  that  can  be  named,  and  I'll  gladly  hunt 
up  the  satchel  and  go  to  school  again.  I  love  a  man  the 
better  for  looking  to  his  own  interests,  I ;  and  yet  common 
honesty  teaches  us  that  there  should  be  a  convention  be 
tween  men,  beyond  which  none  of  reputation  and  charac 
ter  ought  to  go." 

"  Which  convention  shall  be  understood  by  every  man 
to  be  the  limits  of  his  own  faculties  ;  by  which  means  the 
dull  may  rival  the  quick  of  thought.  I  fear  me,  uncle, 
there  should  be  an  eel  kept  on  every  coast  to  which  a  trader 
comes ! " 

"  Prejudice  and  conceit,  child,  acting  on  a  drowsy  head  ; 
'tis  time  thou  seekest  thy  pillow,  and  in  the  morning  we 
shall  see  if  young  Oloff  of  the  Manor  shall  have  better  suc 
cess  with  thy  favor  than  with  the  prototype  of  the  Jona 
thans.  Here,  put  out  these  flaring  candles,  and  take  a 
modest  lamp  to  light  thee  to  thy  bed.  Glaring  windows, 
so  near  midnight,  give  a  house  an  extravagant  name  in  the 
neighborhood." 

"  Our  reputation  for  sobriety  may  suffer  in  the  opinion 
of  the  eels,"  returned  Alida,  laughing,  "  but  here  are  few 
others,  I  believe,  to  call  us  dissipated." 

"  One  never  knows,  one  never  knows,"  muttered  the 
Alderman,  extinguishing  the  two  large  candles  of  his  niece, 
and  substituting  his  own  little  hand-lamp  in  their  place. 
"This  broad  light  only  invites  wakefulness,  while  the  dim 
taper  I  leave  is  good  as  a  sleeping  draught.  Kiss  me,  wil 
ful  one,  and  draw  thy  curtains  close,  for  the  negroes  will 
soon  rise  to  load  the  periagua,  that  they  may  go  up  with 


76  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

the  tide  to  the  city.  The  noise  of  the  chattering  black 
guards  may  disturb  your  slumbers." 

"  Truly,  it  would  seem  there  is  little  here  to  invite  such 
active  navigation,"  returned  Alida,  saluting  the  cheek  of 
her  uncle,  at  his  order.  "  The  love  of  trade  must  be  strong, 
when  it  finds  the  materials  of  commerce  in  a  solitude  simi 
lar  to  this." 

"  Thou  hast  divined  the  reason,  child.  Thy  father,  Mon 
sieur  de  Barberie,  had  his  peculiar  opinions  upon  the  sub 
ject,  and  doubtless  he  did  not  fail  to  transmit  some  of  them 
to  his  offspring.  And  yet,  when  the  Huguenot  was  driven 
from  his  chateau  and  his  clayey  Norman  lands,  the  man 
had  no  distaste  himself  for  an  account-current,  provided  the 
balance  \vas  in  his  own  favor.  Nations  and  characters  ! 
I  find  little  difference,  after  all,  in  trade,  whether  it  be 
driven  with  a  Mohawk  for  his  pack  of  furs,  or  with  a  Seign 
eur,  who  has  been  driven  from  his  lands.  Each  strives  to 
get  the  profit  on  his  own  side  of  the  account,  and  the  loss 
on  that  of  his  neighbor.  So  rest  thee  well,  girl  ;  and  re 
member  that  matrimony  is  no  more  than  a  capital  bargain, 
on  whose  success  depends  the  sum  total  of  a  woman's  com 
fort — and  so,  once  more,  good  night." 

La  belle  Barbaric  attended  her  uncle  dutifully  to  the 
door  of  her  pavilion,  which  she  bolted  after  him  ;  and  then, 
finding  her  little  apartment  gloomy  by  the  light  of  the 
small  and  feeble  lamp  he  had  left,  she  was  pleased  to  bring 
its  flame  in  contact  with  the  wicks  of  the  two  candles  he 
had  just  extinguished.  Placing  the  three  near  each 
other  on  a  table,  the  maiden  again  drew  nigh  a  window. 
The  unexpected  interview  with  the  Alderman  had  con 
sumed  several  minutes,  and  she  was  curious  to  know 
more  of  the  unaccountable  movements  of  the  mysterious 
vessel. 

The  same  deep  silence  reigned  about  the  villa,  and  the 
slumbering  ocean  was  heaving  and  setting  as  heavily  as 
before.  Alida  again  looked  for  the  boat  of  Ludlow  ;  but 
her  eye  ran  over  the  whole  distance  of  the  bright  and  broad 
streak  between  her  and  the  cruiser  in  vain.  There  was  the 
slight  ripple  of  the  water  in  the  glittering  of  the  moon's 
rays,  but  no  speck  like  that  the  barge  would  make  was 
visible.  The  lantern  still  shone  at  the  cruiser's  peak. 
Once,  indeed,  she  thought  the  sound  of  oars  was  again  to 
be  heard,  and  much  nearer  than  before  ;  yet  no  effort  of 
her  quick  and  roving  sight  could  detect  the  position  of  the 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  77 

boat.  To  all  these  doubts  succeeded  an  alarm  which  sprang 
from  a  new  and  very  different  source. 

The  existence  of  the  inlet  which  united  the  ocean  with 
the  waters  of  the  Cove  was  but  little  known,  except  to  the 
few  whose  avocations  kept  them  near  the  spot.  The  pass 
being  much  more  than  half  the  time  closed,  its  varying 
character,  and  the  little  use  that  could  be  made  of  it  under 
any  circumstances,  prevented  the  place  from  being  a  sub 
ject  of  general  interest  with  the  coasters.  Even  when  open, 
the  depth  of  its  water  was  uncertain,  since  a  week  or  two 
of  calms,  or  of  westerly  winds,  wrould  permit  the  tides  to 
clean  its  channel,  while  a  single  easterly  gale  was  sufficient 
to  choke  the  entire  inlet  with  sand.  No  wonder,  then,  that 
Alida  felt  an  amazement  which  was  not  quite  free  from 
superstitious  alarm,  when,  at  that  hour  and  in  such  a 
scene,  she  saw  a  vessel  gliding,  as  it  were,  unaided  by  sails 
or  sweeps,  out  of  the  thicket  that  fringed  the  ocean  side  of 
the  Cove,  into  its  very  centre. 

The  strange  and  mysterious  craft  was  a  brigantine  of  that 
mixed  construction  which  is  much  used  even  in  the  most 
ancient  and  classical  seas  of  the  other  hemisphere,  and 
which  is  supposed  to  unite  the  advantages  of  both  a  square 
and  of  a  fore-and-aft  rigged  vessel,  but  which  is  nowhere 
seen  to  display  the  same  beauty  of  form,  and  symmetry  of 
equipment,  as  on  the  coasts  of  this  Union.  The  first  and 
smallest  of  its  masts  had  all  the  complicated  machinery  of 
a  ship,  with  its  superior  and  inferior  spars,  its  wider  reach 
ing  though  light  and  manageable  yards,  and  its  various 
sails,  shaped  and  arranged  to  meet  every  vicissitude  and 
caprice  of  the  winds,  while  the  latter,  or  larger  of  the  two, 
rose  like  the  straight  trunk  of  a  pine  from  the  hull,  simple 
in  its  cordage,  and  spreading  a  single  sheet  of  canvas,  that 
in  itself  was  sufficient  to  drive  the  fabric  with  vast  velocity 
through  the  water.  The  hull  was  low,  graceful  in  its  out 
lines,  dark  as  the  raven's  wing,  and  so  modelled  as  to  float 
on  its  element  like  a  sea-gull  riding  the  billows.  There 
were  many  delicate  and  attenuated  lines  among  its  spars 
which  were  intended  to  spread  broader  folds  of  canvas  to 
the  light  airs  when  necessary ;  but  these  additions  to  the 
tracery  of  the  machine,  which  added  so  much  to  its  beauty 
by  day,  were  now,  seen  as  it  was  by  the  dimmer  and  more 
treacherous  rays  of  the  moon,  scarcely  visible.  In  short, 
as  the  vessel  had  entered  the  Cove  floating  with  the  tide, 
it  was  so  singularly  graceful  and  fairy-like  in  form  that 


78  THE  WATER-WITCH. 

Alida  at  first  was  fain  to  discredit  her  senses,  and  to  believe 
it  no  more  than  some  illusion  of  the  fancy.  Like  most 
others,  she  was  ignorant  of  the  temporary  inlet,  and,  under 
the  circumstances,  it  was  not  difficult  to  lend  a  momentary 
credence  to  so  pleasing  an  idea. 

But  the  delusion  was  only  momentary.  The  brigantine 
turned  in  its  course,  and  gliding  into  the  part  of  the  Cove 
where  the  curvature  of  the  shores  offered  most  protection 
from  the  winds  and  waves,  and  perhaps  from  curious  eyes, 
its  motion  ceased.  A  heavy  plunge  in  the  water  was  audi 
ble  even  at  the  villa,  and  Alida  then  knew  that  an  anchor 
had  fallen  into  the  bay. 

Although  the  coast  of  North  America  offered  little  to 
invite  lawless  depredation,  and  it  was  in  general  believed 
to  be  so  safe,  yet  the  possibility  that  cupidity  might  be  in 
vited  by  the  retired  situation  of  her  uncle's  villa  did  not 
fail  to  suggest  itself  to  the  mind  of  the  young  heiress. 
Both  she  and  her  guardian  were  reputed  to  be  wealthy  ; 
and  disappointment  on  the  open  sea  might  drive  desperate 
men  to  the  commission  of  crimes  that  in  more  prosperous 
moments  would  not  suggest  themselves.  The  freebooters 
were  said  to  have  formerly  visited  the  coast  of  the  neigh 
boring  island,  and  men  were  just  commencing  those  exca 
vations  for  hidden  treasures  and  secreted  booty  which  have 
been,  at  distant  intervals,  continued  to  our  own  time. 

There  are  situations  in  which  the  mind  insensibly  gives 
credit  to  impressions  that  the  reason  in  common  disap 
proves.  The  present  was  one  in  which  Alida  de  Barberie, 
though  of  a  resolute,  and  even  a  masculine  understanding, 
felt  disposed  to  believe  there  might  be  truth  in  those  tales 
that  she  had  hitherto  heard  only  to  deride.  Still  keeping 
her  eye  on  the  motionless  vessel,  she  drew  back  into  her 
window,  and  wrapped  the  curtain  round  her  form,  unde 
cided  whether  to  alarm  the  family  or  not,  and  acting  under 
a  vague  impression  that,  though  so  distant,  her  person 
might  be  seen.  She  was  hardly  thus  secreted  before  the 
shrubbery  was  violently  agitated,  a  footstep  was  heard  in 
the  lawn  beneath  her  window,  and  one  leaped  so  lightly 
into  the  balcony,  and  from  the  balcony  into  the  centre  of  the 
room,  that  the  passage  of  the  figure  seemed  like  the  flitting 
of  some  creature  of  supernatural  attributes. 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  79 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Why  look  you,  how  you  stare  ! 

I  would  be  friends  with  you  and  have  your  love. — Shy  lock. 

THE  first  impulse  of  Alida,  at  this  second  invasion  of 
her  pavilion,  was  certainly  to  flee.  But  timidity  was  not 
her  weakness,  and  as  natural  firmness  gave  her  time  to  ex 
amine  the  person  of  the  individual  who  had  so  unceremo 
niously  entered,  curiosity  aided  in  inducing  her  to  remain. 
Perhaps  a  vague,  but  a  very  natural  expectation  that  she 
was  again  to  dismiss  the  commander  of  the  Coquette,  had 
its  influence  on  her  first  decision.  In  order  that  the  reader 
may  judge  how  far  this  boldness  was  excusable,  we  shall 
describe  the  person  of  the  intruder. 

The  stranger  was  one  in  the  very  bud  of  young  and  ac 
tive  manhood.  His  years  could  not  have  exceeded  two- 
and-twenty,  nor  would  he  probably  have  been  thought  so 
old  had  not  his  features  been  shaded  by  a  rich  brown  hue, 
that  in  some  degree  served  as  a  foil  to  a  natural  complex 
ion,  which,  though  never  fair,  was  still  clear  and  blooming. 
A  pair  of  dark,  bushy,  and  jet-black  silken  whiskers,  that 
were  in  singular  contrast  to  eyelashes  and  brows  of  femi 
nine  beauty  and  softness,  aided  also  in  giving  a  decided 
expression  to  a  face  that  might  otherwise  have  been  want 
ing  in  some  of  that  character  which  is  thought  essential  to 
comeliness  in  man.  The>forehead  was  smooth  and  low  ; 
the  nose,  though  prominent  and  bold  in  outline,  of  ex 
ceeding  delicacy  in  detail  ;  the  mouth  and  lips  full,  a  little 
inclined  to  be  arch,  though  the  former  appeared  as  if  it 
might  at  times  be  pensive  ;  the  teeth  were  even  and 
unsullied,  and  the  chin  was  small,  round,  dimpled,  and  so 
carefully  divested  of  the  distinguishing  mark  of  the  sex 
that  one  could  fancy  nature  had  contributed  all  its  growth 
to  adorn  the  neighboring  cheeks  and  temples. 

If  to  these  features  be  added  a  pair  of  full  and  brilliant 
coal-black  eyes,  that  appeared  to  vary  their  expression  at 
their  master's  will,  the  reader  will  at  once  see  that  the  priv 
acy  of  Alida  had  been  invaded  by  one  whose  personal  at 
tractions  might,  under  other  circumstances,  have  been 
dangerous  to  the  imagination  of  a  female  whose  taste  was 
in  some  degree  influenced  by  a  standard  created  by  her 
own  loveliness. 


So  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

The  dress  of  the  stranger  was  as  unique  as  his  personal 
attractions  were  extraordinary.  The  fashion  of  the  gar 
ments  resembled  that  of  those  already  described  as  worn 
by  the  man  who  has  announced  himself  as  Master  Tiller  ; 
but  the  materials  were  altogether  richer,  and,  judging  only 
from  the  exterior,  more  worthy  of  the  wearer. 

The  light  frock  was  of  a  thick  purple  silk,  of  an  Indian 
manufacture,  cut  with  exceeding  care  to  fit  the  fine  out 
lines  of  a  form  that  was  rather  round  than  square,  active 
than  athletic.  The  loose  trousers  were  of  a  fine  white  jean, 
the  cap  of  scarlet  velvet,  ornamented  with  gold,  and  the 
body  was  belted  with  a  large  cord  of  scarlet  silk,  twisted 
in  the  form  of  a  ship's  cable.  At  the  ends  of  the  latter, 
little  anchors  wrought  in  bullion  were  attached  as  gay  and 
fitting  appendages. 

In  contrast  to  an  attire  so  whimsical  and  uncommon, 
however,  a  pair  of  small  and  richly-mounted  pistols  were 
at  the  stranger's  girdle  ;  and  the  haft  of  a  curiously  carved 
Asiatic  dagger  was  seen  projecting  rather  ostentatiously 
from  between  the  folds  of  the  upper  garment. 

"  What  cheer  !  what  cheer  !  "  cried  a  voice  that  was  more 
in  harmony  with  the  appearance  of  the  speaker  than  the 
rough,  professional  salutation  that  he  uttered  so  soon  as 
he  had  fairly  landed  in  the  centre  of  Alida's  little  saloon. 
"  Come  forth,  my  dealer  in  the  covering  of  the  beaver, 
for  here  is  one  who  brings  gold  to  thy  coffers.  Ha  !  now 
that  this  trio  of  lights  hath  done  its  office,  it  may  be  ex 
tinguished  lest  it  pilot  others  to  the  forbidden  haven  !" 

"  Your  pardon,  sir,"  said  the  mistress  of  the  pavilion, 
advancing  from  behind  the  curtain  with  an  air  of  coolness 
that  her  beating  heart  had  nigh  betrayed  to  be  counter 
feit  ;  "having  so  unexpected  a  guest  to  entertain,  the  ad 
ditional  candles  are  necessary." 

The  start,  recoil,  and  evident  alarm  of  the  intruder,  lent 
Alida  a  little  more  assurance  ;  for  courage  is  a  quality  that 
appears  to  gain  force  in  a  degree  proportioned  to  the 
amount  in  which  it  is  abstracted  from  a  dreaded  object. 
Still,  when  she  saw  a  hand  on  a  pistol,  the  maiden  was 
again  about  to  flee  ;  nor  was  her  resolution  to  remain  con 
firmed  until  she  met  the  mild  and  alluring  eye  of  the  in 
truder,  as,  quitting  his  hold  of  the  weapon,  he  advanced 
with  an  air  so  mild  and  graceful  as  to  cause  generosity  to 
take  the  place  of  fear. 

"  Though  Alderman  Van  Beverout  be  not  punctual  to 


THE   IVATER-IVITCIL  81 

his  appointment,"  said  the  gay  young  stranger,  "  he  has 
more  than  atoned  for  his  absence  by  the  substitute  he 
sends.  I  hope  she  comes  authorized  to  arrange  the  whole 
of  our  treaty  ?" 

"  I  claim  no  right  to  hear  or  to  dictate  in  matters  not 
my  own.  My  utmost  powers  extend  to  expressing  a  de 
sire  that  this  pavilion  may  be  exempt  from  the  discussion 
of  affairs  as  much  beyond  my  knowledge  as  they  are  sep 
arated  from  my  interests." 

"  Then  why  this  signal  ? "  demanded  the  stranger,  point 
ing  with  a  serious  air  to  the  lights  that  still  burned  near 
each  other  in  face  of  an  open  widow.  "  It  is  awkward  to 
mislead  in  transactions  that  are  so  delicate  !  " 

' '  Your  allusion,  sir,  is  not  understood.  These  lights  are 
no  more  than  what  are  usually  seen  in  my  apartment  at 
this  hour,  with,  indeed,  the  addition  of  a  lamp  left  by  my 
uncle,  Alderman  Van  Beverout." 

"  Your  uncle  !  "  exclaimed  the  other,  advancing  so  near 
Alida  as  to  cause  her  to  retreat  a  step,  his  countenance 
expressing  a  deep  and  newly-awakened  interest — "  your 
uncle!  This  then  is  one  far-famed  and  justly  extolled,  la 
belle  Barberie  ! "  he  added,  gallantly  lifting  his  cap,  as  if 
he  had  just  discovered  the  condition  and  the  unusual  per 
sonal  attractions  of  his  companion. 

It  was  not  in  nature  for  Alida  to  be  displeased. 

All  her  fancied  causes  of  terror  were  forgotten  ;  for,  in 
addition  to  their  improbable  and  uncertain  nature,  the 
stranger  had  sufficiently  given  her  to  understand  that  he 
was  expected  by  her  uncle.  If  we  add,  that  the  singular 
attraction  and  softness  of  his  face  and  voice  aided  in  quiet 
ing  her  fears,  we  shall  probably  do  no  violence  either  to 
the  truth  or  to  a  very  natural  feeling.  Profoundly  ignorant 
of  the  details  of  commerce,  and  accustomed  to  hear  its 
mysteries  extolled  as  exercising  the  keenest  and  best  fac 
ulties  of  man,  she  saw  nothing  extraordinary  in  those  who 
were  actively  engaged  in  the  pursuit  having  reason  for 
concealing  their  movements  from  the  jealousy  and  rivalry 
of  competitors.  Like  most  of  her  sex,  she  had  great  de 
pendence  on  the  characters  of  those  she  loved  ;  and  though 
nature,  education,  and  habit  had  created  a  striking  differ 
ence  between  the  guardian  and  his  ward,  their  harmony 
had  never  been  interrupted  by  any  breach  of  affection. 

"  This,  then,  is  la  belle  Barberie  ! "  repeated  the  young 
sailor,  for  such  his  dress  denoted  him  to  be,  studying  her 
6 


82  THE   WATER- WITCH. 

features  with  an  expression  of  face  in  which  pleasure  vied 
with  evident  and  touching  melancholy.  "  Fame  hath  done 
no  injustice,  for  here  is  all  that  might  justify  the  folly  or 
madness  of  man  !  " 

"This  is  familiar  dialogue  for  an  utter  stranger,"  re 
turned  Alida,  blushing,  though  the  quick,  dark  eye  that 
seemed  to  fathom  all  her  thoughts  saw  it  was  not  in  anger. 
"  I  do  not  deny  that  the  partiality  of  friends,  coupled  with 
my  origin,  have  obtained  the  appellation  which  is  given, 
however,  more  in  playfulness  than  in  any  serious  opinion 
of  its  being  merited — and  now,  as  the  hour  is  getting  late, 
and  this  visit  is  at  least  unusual,  you  will  permit  me  to 
seek  my  uncle." 

"  Stay  !  "  interrupted  the  stranger  ;  "  it  is  long — very 
long,  since  so  soothing,  so  gentle  a  pleasure  has  been 
mine  !  This  is  a  life  of  mysteries,  beautiful  Alida,  though 
its  incidents  seem  so  vulgar  and  of  every-day  occurrence. 
There  is  mystery  in  its  beginning  and  its  end  ;  in  its  im 
pulses  ;  its  sympathies,  and  all  its  discordant  passions. 
No,  do  not  quit  me.  I  am  from  off  the  sea,  where  none 
but  coarse  and  vulgar-minded  men  have  long  been  my 
associates  ;  and  thy  presence  is  a  balm  to  a  bruised  and 
wounded  spirit." 

Interested,  if  possible,  more  by  the  touching  and  melan 
choly  tones  of  the  speaker,  than  by  his  extraordinary  lan 
guage,  Alida  hesitated.  Her  reason  told  her  that  propri 
ety,  and  even  prudence,  required  she  should  apprise  her 
uncle  of  the  stranger's  presence  ;  but  propriety  and  pru 
dence  lose  much  of  their  influence  when  female  curiosity 
is  sustained  by  a  secret  and  powerful  sympathy.  Her  own 
eloquent  eye  met  the  open  and  imploring  look  of  organs 
that  seemed  endowed  with  the  fabled  power  to  charm  ;  and 
while  her  judgment  told  her  there  was  so  much  to  alarm, 
her  senses  pleaded  powerfully  in  behalf  of  the  gentle 
mariner. 

"  An  expected  guest  of  my  uncle's  will  have  leisure  to 
repose,  after  the  privations  and  hardships  of  so  weary  a 
voyage,"  she  said.  "This  is  a  house  whose  door  is  never 
closed  against  the  rites  of  hospitality." 

"  If  there  is  aught  about  my  person  or  attire  to  alarm 
you,"  returned  the  stranger,  earnestly,  "speak,  that  it  may 
be  cast  away — these  arms — these  foolish  arms,  had  better 
not  have  been  here,"  he  added,  casting  the  pistols  and  dag 
ger  indignantly  through  a  window,  into  the  shrubbery  ; 


THE  WATER-VfaTQH.  83 

"  ah  !  if  you  knew  how  unwillingly  I  would  harm  any — 
and,  least  of  all,  a  woman — you  would  not  fern*  me  ! ' 

"  I  fear  you  not,"  returned  la  Belle,  firmly.  "  I  dread 
the  misconceptions  of  the  world." 

"  What  world  is  here  to  disturb  us  ?  Thou  livest  in  thy 
pavilion,  beautiful  Alida,  remote  from  towns  and  envy, 
like  some  favored  damsel,  over  whose  happy  and  charmed 
life  presides  a  benignant  genius.  See,  here  are  all  the 
pretty  materials  with  which  thy  sex  seeks  innocent  and 
happy  amusement.  Thou  touchest  this  lute,  when  melan 
choly  renders  thought  pleasing  ;  here  are  colors  to  mock, 
or  to  eclipse,  the  beauties  of  the  fields  and  the  mountains, 
the  flower  and  the  tree  ;  and  from  these  pages  are  culled 
thoughts,  pure  and  rich  in  imagery,  as  thy  spirit  is  spotless, 
and  thy  person  lovely  !  " 

Alida  listened  in  amazement ;  for  while  he  spoke,  the 
young  mariner  touched  the  different  articles  he  named,  with 
a  melancholy  interest,  which  seemed  to  say  how  deeply  he 
regretted  that  fortune  had  placed  him  in  a  profession  in 
which  their  use  was  nearly  denied. 

"  It  is  not  common  for  those  who  live  on  the  sea  to  feel  this 
interest  in  the  trifles  which  constitute  a  woman's  pleasure," 
she  said,  lingering,  spite  of  her  better  resolution  to  depart. 

"  The  spirit  of  our  rude  and  boisterous  trade  is  then 
known  to  you  ?" 

"  It  were  not  possible  for  the  relation  of  a  merchant,  so 
extensively  known  as  my  uncle,  to  be  ignorant  altogether 
of  mariners." 

"Aye,  there  is  proof  of  it,"  returned  the  stranger,  speak 
ing  so  quick,  as  again  to  betray  how  sensitively  his  mind 
was  constructed.  "The  history  of  the  American  Bucca 
neers  is  a  rare  book  to  be  found  in  a  lady's  library  !  What 
pleasure  can  a  mind  like  that  of  la  belle  Barberie  find  in 
these  recitals  of  bloody  violence  ? " 

"What  pleasure,  truly  !"  returned  Alida,  half  tempted 
by  the  wild  and  excited  eye  of  her  companion,  notwith 
standing  all  the  contradictory  evidence  which  surrounded 
him,  to  believe  he  was  one  of  the  very  rovers  in  question. 
"  The  book  was  lent  me  by  a  brave  seaman,  who  holds 
himself  in  readiness  to  repress  their  depredations  ;  and 
while  reading  of  so  much  wickedness,  I  endeavor  to  recall 
the  devotion  of  those  who  risk  their  lives  in  order  to  pro 
tect  the  weak  and  innocent.  My  uncle  will  be  angered 
should  I  longer  delay  to  apprise  him  of  your  presence." 


84  THE   WATER- WITCIL 

"  A  single  moment !  It  is  long — very  long,  since  I  en 
tered  a  sanctuary  like  this  !  Here  is  music,  and  there 
the  frame  for  the  gaudy  tambour — these  windows  look  on 
a  landscape,  soft  as  thy  own  nature  ;  and  yonder  ocean  can 
be  admired  without  dreading  its  terrific  power,  or  feeling 
disgust  at  its  coarser  scenes.  Thou  shouldst  be  happy 
here  !" 

The  stranger  turned  and  perceived  that  he  was  alone. 
Disappointment  was  strongly  painted  on  his  handsome 
face  ;  but,  ere  there  was  time  for  second  thought,  another 
voice  was  heard  grumbling  at  the  door  of  the  saloon. 

" Compacts  and  treaties!  What,  in  the  name  of  good 
faith  hath  brought  thee  hither?  Is  this  the  way  to  keep  a 
cloak  on  our  movements  ?  or  dost  suppose  that  the  Queen 
will  knight  me  for  being  known  as  thy  correspondent  ?" 

"  Lanterns  and  false  beacons  ! "  returned  the  other,  mim 
icking  the  voice  of  the  discontented  burgher,  and  pointing 
to  the  lights  that  still  stood  where  last  described.  "  Can 
the  port  be  entered  without  respecting  the  landmarks  and 
signals  ?" 

"This  comes  of  moonlight  and  sentiment  !  When  the 
girl  should  have  been  asleep,  she  is  up  and  gazing  at  the 
stars,  and  disconcerting  a  burgher's  speculation.  But  fear 
thee  not,  Master  Seadrift  ;  my  niece  has  discretion,  and  if 
we  have  no  better  pledge  for  her  silence,  there  is  that  of  ne 
cessity  ;  since  there  is  no  one  here  for  a  confident,  but  her 
old  Norman  valet  and  the  Patroon  of  Kinderhook,  both 
of  whom  are  dreaming  of  other  matter  than  a  little  gain 
ful  traffic." 

"  Fear  thee  not,  Alderman,"  returned  the  other,  still  main 
taining  his  air  of  mockery.  "We  have  the  pledge  of 
character,  if  no  other  ;  since  the  uncle  cannot  part  with 
reputation,  without  the  niece  sharing  in  the  loss." 

"What  sin  is  there  in  pushing  commerce  a  step  beyond 
the  limits  of  the  law?  These  English  are  a  nation  of 
monopolists  ;  and  they  make  no  scruple  of  tying  us  of 
the  colonies  hand  and  foot,  heart  and  soul,  with  their  acts 
of  Parliament,  saying,  'With  us  shalt  thou  trade  or  not  at 
all.'  By  the  character  of  the  best  burgomaster  of  Amster 
dam,  and  they  came  by  the  province,  too,  in  no  such  hon 
esty,  that  we  should  lie  down  and  obey  ! " 

"  Wherein  there  is  much  comfort  to  a  dealer  in  the  con 
traband.  Justly  reasoned,  my  worthy  Alderman.  Thy 
logic  will  at  any  time  make  a  smooth  pillow,  especially  if 


THE  WATER-WITCH.  85 

the  adventure  be  not  without  its  profit.  And  now,  having 
so  commendably  disposed  of  our  bargain,  let  us  approach  its 
legitimate,  if  not  its  lawful,  conclusion.  There,"  he  added, 
drawing  a  small  bag  from  an  inner  pocket  of  his  frock, 
and  tossing  it  carelessly  on  a  table;  "there  is  thy  gold. 
Eighty  broad  Johannes  is  no  bad  return  for  a  few  pack 
ages  of  furs;  and  even  avarice  itself  will  own  that  six 
months  is  no  long  investment  for  the  usury." 

"  That  boat  of  thine,  most  lively  Seadrift,  is  a  marine 
humming-bird!"  returned  Myndert,  with  a  joyful  tremor 
of  the  voice,  that  betrayed  his  deep  and  entire  satisfaction. 
"  Did'st  say  just  eighty?  But  spare  thyself  the  trouble 
of  looking  for  the  memorandum  ;  I  will  tell  the  gold  my 
self,  to  save  the  trouble.  Truly  the  adventure  hath  not 
been  bad  !  a  few  kegs  of  Jamaica,  with  a  little  powder  and 
lead,  and  a  blanket  or  two,  with  now  and  then  a  penny 
bauble  for  a  chief,  are  knowingly,  aye  !  and  speedily  trans 
muted  into  the  yellow  metal,  by  thy  good  aid.  This  affair 
was  managed  on  the  French  coast?" 

"  More  northward,  where  frost  helped  the  bargain.  The 
beavers  and  martens,  honest  burgher,  will  be  flaunting  in 
the  presence  of  the  Emperor  at  the  next  holidays.  What 
is  there  in  the  face  of  the  Braganza  that  thou  studiest  it  so 
hard  ? " 

"The  piece  seems  none  of  the  heaviest — but,  luckily,  I 
have  scales  at  hand " 

4'  Hold ! "  said  the  stranger,  laying  his  hand,  which, 
according  to  a  fashion  of  that  day,  was  clad  in  a  delicate 
and  scented  glove,  lightly  on  the  arm  of  the  other  ;  "  no 
scales  between  us,  sir  !  That  was  taken  in  return  for  thy 
adventure  ;  heavy  or  light,  it  must  go  down.  We  deal  in 
confidence,  and  this  hesitation  offends  me.  Another  such 
doubt  of  my  integrity,  and  our  connection  is  at  an  end." 

"A  calamity  I  should  deplore  quite  or  nearly  as  much 
as  thyself,"  returned  Myndert,  affecting  to  laugh  ;  though 
he  slipped  the  suspected  doubloon  into  the  bag  again,  in  a 
manner  that  at  once  removed  the  object  of  contention  from 
view.  "A  little  particularity  in  the  balance  part  of  com 
merce  serves  us  to  maintain  friendships.  But  a  trifle  shall 
not  cause  us  to  waste  the  precious  time.  Hast  brought 
goods  suited  to  the  colonies  ? " 

"  In  plenty." 

"  And  ingeniously  assorted  ?  Colonists  and  monopoly  ! 
But  there  is  a  twofold  satisfaction  in  this  clandestine  traffic  ; 


86  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

I  never  get  the  notice  of  thy  arrival,  Master  Seadrift,  but 
the  heart  within  me  leapeth  of  gladness  !  There  is  a  double 
pleasure  in  circumventing  the  legislation  of  your  London 
wiseacres  ! " 

"  The  chiefest  of  which  is — " 

"A goodly  return  for  the  investment,  truly  ;  I  desire  not 
to  deny  the  agency  of  natural  causes  ;  but,  trust  me,  there 
is  a  sort  of  professional  glory  in  thus  defeating  the  selfish 
ness  of  our  rulers.  What !  are  we  born  of  woman  to  be 
used  as  the  instruments  of  their  prosperity  !  Give  us  equal 
legislation,  a  right  to  decide  on  the  policy  of  enactments, 
and,  then,  like  a  loyal  and  obedient  subject " 

"  Thou  would  still  deal  in  the  contraband  !  " 

"Well,  well  ;  multiplying  idle  words  is  not  multiplying 
gold.  The  list  of  the  articles  introduced  can  be  forthcom 
ing  ?" 

"  It  is  here,  and  ready  to  be  examined.  But  there  is  a 
fancy  come  over  me,  Alderman  Van  Beverout,  which,  like 
others  of  my  caprices,  thou  knowest  must  have  its  way. 
There  should  be  a  witness  to  our  bargain." 

"Judges  and  juries  !  Thou  forgettest,  man.  that  a  clumsy 
galiot  could  sail  through  the  tightest  clause  of  these  extra- 
legal  compacts.  The  courts  receive  the  evidence  of  this 
sort  of  traffic  as  the  grave  receives  the  dead  ;  to  swallow 
all  and  be  forgotten." 

"  I  care  not  for  the  courts,  and  little  desire  do  I  feel  to 
enter  them.  But  the  presence  of  la  belle  Barberie  may 
serve  to  prevent  any  misconceptions  that  might  bring 
our  connection  to  a  permanent  close.  Let  her  be  sum 
moned." 

"  The  girl  is  altogether  ignorant  of  traffic,  and  it  might 
unsettle  her  opinions  of  her  uncle's  stability.  If  a  man 
does  not  maintain  credit  within  his  own  doors,  how  can  he 
expect  it  in  the  streets?" 

"  Many  have  credit  on  the  highway  who  receive  none  at 
home.  But  thou  knowest  my  humor  ;  no  niece — no  traffic." 

"Alida  is  a  dutiful  and  affectionate  child,  and  I  would 
not  willingly  disturb  her  slumbers.  Here  is  the  Patroon 
of  Kinderhook,  a  man  who  loves  English  legislation  as 
little  as  myself  ;  he  will  be  less  reluctant  to  see  an  honest 
shilling  turned  into  gold.  I  will  awake  him  ;  no  man  was 
ever  yet  offended  at  an  offer  to  share  in  a  profitable  ad 
venture." 

"Let   him   sleep   on.     I   deal   not  with   your   lords  of 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  87 

manors  and  mortgages.  Bring  [forth  the  lady,  for  there 
will  be  matter  fit  for  her  delicacy." 

"  Duty  and  the  ten  commandments !  You  never  had 
the  charge  of  a  child,  Master  Seadrift,  and  cannot  know  the 
weight  of  responsibility " 

"No  niece — no  traffic!"  interrupted  the  wilful  dealer 
in  contraband,  returning  his  invoice  to  his  pocket,  and 
preparing  to  rise  from  the  table,  where  he  had  already 
seated  himself.  "  The  lady  knows  of  my  presence  ;  and  it 
were  safer  for  us  both  that  she  entered  more  deeply  into 
our  confidence." 

"Thou  art  as  desperate  as  the  English  navigation-law! 
I  hear  the  foot  of  the  child  still  pacing  her  chamber,  and 
she  shall  come.  But  there  need  be  no  explanations,  to 
recall  old  intercourse.  The  affair  can  pass  as  a  bit  of  ac 
cidental  speculation — a  by-play,  in  the  traffic  of  life." 

"  As  thou  pleasest.  I  shall  deal  less  in  words  than  in 
business.  Keep  thine  own  secrets,  burgher,  and  they  are 
safe.  Still,  I  would  have  the  lady,  for  there  is  a  presenti 
ment  that  our  connection  is  in  danger." 

"  I  like  not  that  word  presentiment,"  grumbled  the 
Alderman,  taking  a  light  and  snuffing  it  with  deliberate 
care  ;  "  drop  but  a  single  letter,  and  one  dreams  of  the 
pains  and  penalties  of  the  Exchequer.  Remember  thou 
art  a  trafficker,  who  conceals  his  appearance  on  account 
of  the  cleverness  of  his  speculations." 

"That  is  my  calling,  to  the  letter.  Were  all  others  as 
clever,  the  trade  would  certainly  cease.  Go,  bring  the  lady." 

The  Alderman,  who  probably  saw  the  necessity  of  mak 
ing  some  explanation  to  his  niece,  and  who,  it  would 
seem,  fully  understood  the  positive  character  of  his  com 
panion,  no  longer  hesitated  ;  but,  first  casting  a  suspicious 
glance  out  of  the  still  open  window,  he  left  the  room. 


CHAPTER  X. 

Alack,  what  heinous  sin  is  it  in  me. 

To  be  ashamed  to  be  my  father's  child  ! 

But  though  I  am  a  daughter  to  his  blood, 

I  am  not  to  his  manners. — Merchant  of  Venice. 

THE  moment  the  stranger  was  again  alone,  the  entire 
expression  of  his  countenance  underwent  a  change.  The 
reckless  and  bold  expression  deserted  his  eye,  which  once 


88  THE  WATER-WITCH. 

more  became  soft,  if  not  pensive,  as  it  wandered  over  the 
different  elegant  objects  that  served  to  amuse  the  leisure 
of  la  belle  Barberie.  He  arose  and  touched  the  strings  of 
a  lute,  and  then,  like  fear,  started  back,  as  if  recoiling  at 
the  sound  he  had  made.  All  recollection  of  the  object  of 
his  visit  was  evidently  forgotten  in  a  new  and  livelier  in 
terest  ;  and  had  there  been  one  to  watch  his  movements, 
the  last  motive  imputed  to  his  presence  would  probably 
have  been  the  one  that  was  true.  There  was  so  little  of 
that  vulgar  and  common  character  which  is  usually  seen 
in  men  of  his  pursuit,  in  the  gentle  aspect  and  subdued 
air  of  his  fine  features,  that  it  might  be  fancied  he  was 
thus  singularly  endowed  by  nature  in  order  that  deception 
might  triumph.  If  there  were  moments  when  a  disregard 
of  opinion  was  seen  in  his  demeanor,  it  rather  appeared 
assumed  than  easy  ;  and  even  when  most  disposed  to  dis 
play  lawless  indifference  to  the  ordinary  regulations  of 
society,  in  his  interview  with  the  Alderman,  it  had  been 
blended  with  a  reserve  of  manner  that  was  strangely  in 
contrast  with  his  humor. 

On  the  other  hand,  it  were  idle  to  say  that  Alida  de 
Barberie  had  no  unpleasant  suspicions  concerning  the 
character  of  her  uncle's  guest.  That  baneful  influence 
which  necessarily  exerts  itself  near  an  irresponsible  power, 
coupled  with  the  natural  indifference  with  which  the  prin 
cipal  regards  the  dependant,  had  caused  the  English  min 
istry  to  fill  too  many  of  their  posts  of  honor  and  profit  in 
their  colonies  with  needy  and  dissolute  men  of  rank,  or  of 
high  political  connections  at  home. 

The  Province  of  New  York  had,  in  this  respect,  been 
singularly  unfortunate.  The  gift  of  it  by  Charles  to  his 
brother  and  successor  had  left  it  without  the  protection  of 
those  charters  and  other  privileges  that  had  been  granted 
to  most  of  the  governments  of  America.  The  connection 
with  the  Crown  was  direct,  and  for  a  long  period  the 
majority  of  the  inhabitants  were  considered  of  a  different 
race,  and  of  course  as  of  one  less  to  be  considered  than 
that  of  their  conquerors.  Such  was  the  laxity  of  the  times 
on  the  subject  of  injustice  to  the  people  of  this  hemisphere, 
that  the  predatory  expeditions  of  Drake  and  others  against 
the  wealthy  occupants  of  the  more  southern  countries 
seem  to  have  left  no  spots  on  their  escutcheons ;  and  the 
honors  and  favors  of  Queen  Elizabeth  had  been  liberally 
extended  to  men  who  would  now  be  deemed  freebooters. 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  89 

In  short,  that  system  of  violence  and  specious  morality 
which  commenced  with  the  gifts  of  Ferdinand  and  Isa 
bella,  and  the  bulls  of  the  Popes,  was  continued  with  more 
or  less  of  modification,  until  the  descendants  of  those 
single-minded  and  virtuous  men  who  peopled  the  Union 
took  the  powers  of  government  into  their  own  hands,  and 
proclaimed  political  ethics  that  were  previously  as  little 
practised  as  understood. 

Alida  knew  that  both  the  Earl  of  Bellamont  and  the 
unprincipled  nobleman  who  has  been  introduced  in  the 
earlier  pages  of  this  tale,  had  not  escaped  the  imputation 
of  conniving  at  acts  on  the  sea  far  more  flagrant  than  any 
of  an  unlawful  trade  ;  and  it  will  therefore  create  little 
surprise  that  she  saw  reason  to  distrust  the  legality  of 
some  of  her  uncle's  speculations  with  less  pain  than  might 
be  felt  by  one  of  her  sex  and  opinions  at  the  present  hour. 
Her  suspicions,  however,  fell  far  short  of  the  truth  ;  for 
it  were  scarce  possible  to  have  presented  a  mariner  who 
bore  about  him  fewer  of  those  signs  of  his  rude  calling 
than  he  whom  she  had  so  unexpectedly  met. 

Perhaps,  too,  the  powerful  charm  that  existed  in  the 
voice  and  countenance  of  one  so  singularly  gifted  by 
nature,  had  its  influence  in  persuading  Alida  to  reappear. 
At  all  events,  she  was  soon  seen  to  enter  the  room  with  an 
air  that  manifested  more  of  curiosity  and  wonder  than  of 
displeasure. 

"  My  niece  has  heard  that  thou  comest  from  the  old 
countries,  Master  Seadrift,"  said  the  wary  Alderman,  who 
preceded  Alida,  "  and  the  woman  is  uppermost  in  her 
heart.  Thou  wilt  never  be  forgiven  should  the  eye  of  any 
maiden  in  Manhattan  get  sight  of  thy  finery  before  she 
has  passed  judgment  on  its  merit." 

"I  cannot  wish  a  more  impartial  or  a  fairer  judge," 
returned  the  other,  doffing  his  cap  in  the  gallant  and  care 
less  manner  of  his  trade.  "  Here  are  silks  from  the  looms 
of  Tuscany,  and  Lyonnois  brocades,  that  any  Lombard  or 
dame  of  France  might  envy.  Ribbons  of  every  hue  and 
dye,  and  laces  that  seem  to  copy  the  fretwork  of  the  rich 
est  cathedral  of  your  Fleming  !  " 

"Thou  hast  journeyed  much  in  thy  time,  Master  Sea- 
drift,  and  speakest  of  countries  and  usages  with  under 
standing,"  said  the  Alderman.  "  But  how  stand  the 
prices  of  these  precious  goods  ?  Thou  knowest  the  long 
war,  and  moral  certainty  of  its  continuance ;  this  German 


9o 


THE   WATER-WITCH. 


succession  to  the  throne,  and  the  late  earthquakes  in  the 
country,  too,  have  much  unsettled  prices,  and  cause  us 
thoughtful  burghers  to  be  wary  in  our  traffic.  Didst  in 
quire  the  cost  of  geldings  when  last  in  Holland  ?" 

"The  animals  go  a-begging!  As  to  the  value  of  my 
goods,  that,  you  know,  is  fixed  ;  for  I  admit  of  no  parley 
between  friends." 

"  Thy  obstinacy  is  unreasonable,  Master  Seadrift.  A  wise 
merchant  will  always  look  to  the  state  of  the  market,  and 
one  so  practised  should  know  that  a  nimble  sixpence  mul 
tiplies  faster  than  a  slow-moving  shilling.  'Tis  the  con 
stant  rolling  of  the  ball  that  causes  the  snow  to  cleave ! 
Goods  that  come  light  should  not  go  heavy,  and  quick 
settlements  follow  sudden  bargains.  Thou  knowest  our 
York  saying,  that  '  First  offers  are  the  best.' " 

"  He  that  likes  may  purchase,  and  he  that  prefers  his 
gold  to  fine  laces,  rich  silks,  and  stiff  brocades,  has  only  to 
sleep  with  his  money  bag  under  his  pillow.  There  are 
others  who  wait  with  impatience  to  see  the  articles  ;  and 
I  have  not  crossed  the  Atlantic  with  a  freight  that  scarcely 
ballasts  the  brigantine,  to  throw  away  the  valuables  on 
the  lowest  bidder." 

"Nay,  uncle,"  said  Alida,  in  a  little  trepidation,  "we 
cannot  judge  of  the  quality  of  Master  Seadrift's  articles 
by  report.  I  dare  say  he  has  not  landed  without  a  sample 
of  his  wares  ?" 

"Customs  and  friendships!"  muttered  Myndert ;  "of 
what  use  is  an  established  correspondence  if  it  is  to  be 
broken  on  account  of  a  little  cheapening  ?  But  produce 
thy  stores,  Mr.  Dogmatism  ;  I  warrant  me  the  fashions  are 
of  some  rejected  use,  or  that  the  color  of  the  goods  be  im 
paired  by  the  usual  negligence  of  thy  careless  mariners. 
We  will  at  least  pay  thee  the  compliment  to  look  at  the 
effects." 

"'Tis  as  you  please,"  returned  the  other.  "The  bales  are 
in  the  usual  place  at  the  wharf,  under  the  inspection  of 
honest  Master  Tiller — but  if  so  inferior  in  quality,  they 
will  scarce  repay  the  trouble  of  the  walk." 

"  I'll  go,  I'll  go,"  said  the  Alderman,  adjusting  his  wig 
and  removing  his  spectacles  ;  "  'twould  not  be  treating  an 
old  correspondent  well  to  refuse  to  look  at  his  samples — 
thou  wilt  follow,  Master  Seadrift,  and  so  I  will  pay 
thee  the  compliment  to  examine  the  effects — though  the 
long  war,  the  glut  of  furs,  the  over-abundance  of  the  last 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  91 

year's  harvests,  and  the  perfect  quiet  in  the  mining  dis 
tricts,  have  thrown  all  commerce  flat  on  the  back.  I'll  go, 
however,  lest  thou  shouldst  say  thy  interests  were  neg 
lected.  Thy  Master  Tiller  is  an  indiscreet  agent ;  he  gave 
me  a  fright  to-day  that  exceeds  any  alarm  I  have  felt  since 
the  failure  of  Van  Halt,  Balance  and  Liddle." 

The  voice  of  Myndert  became  inaudible,  for,  in  his 
haste  not  to  neglect  the  interests  of  his  guest,  the  tena 
cious  trader  had  already  quitted  the  room,  and  half  of 
his  parting  speech  was  uttered  in  the  antechamber  of  the 
pavilion. 

"  'Twould  scarce  comport  with  the  propriety  of  my 
sex  to  mingle  with  the  seamen,  and  the  others  who  doubt 
less  surround  the  bales,"  said  Alida,  in  whose  face  there 
was  a  marked  expression  of  hesitation  and  curiosity. 

"It  will  not  be  necessary,"  returned  her  companion. 
"  I  have,  at  hand,  specimens  of  all  that  you  would  see. 
But  why  this  haste  ?  We  are  yet  in  the  early  hours  of  the 
night,  and  the  Alderman  will  be  occupied  long,  ere  he 
comes  to  the  determination  to  pay  the  prices  my  people 
are  sure  to  ask.  I  am  lately  from  all  the  sea,  beautiful 
Alida,  and  thou  canst  not  know  the  pleasure  I  find  in 
breathing  even  the  atmosphere  of  a  woman's  presence." 

La  belle  Barberie  retired  a  step  or  two,  she  knew  not 
why  ;  and  her  hand  was  placed  upon  the  cord  of  the  bell 
before  she  was  aware  of  the  manner  in  which  she  betrayed 
her  alarm. 

"  To  me  it  does  not  seem  that  I  am  a  creature  so  terrific 
that  thou  needst  dread  my  presence,"  continued  the  gay 
mariner,  with  a  smile  that  expressed  as  much  of  secret 
irony  as  of  that  pensive  character  which  had  again  taken 
possession  of  his  countenance  ;  "  but  ring,  and  bring  your 
attendants  to  relieve  fears  that  are  natural  to  thy  sex,  and 
therefore  seducing  to  mine.  Shall  I  pull  the  cord  ?  for 
this  pretty  hand  trembles  too  much  to  do  its  office." 

"  I  know  not  that  any  would  answer,  for  it  is  past  the 
hour  of  attendance  ;  it  is  better  that  I  go  to  the  examina 
tion  of  the  bales." 

The  strange  and  singularly  attired  being,  who  occasioned 
so  much  uneasiness  to  Alida,  regarded  her  a  moment  with 
a  kind  and  melancholy  solicitude. 

"  Thus  they  are  all  till  altered  by  too  much  intercourse 
with  a  cold  and  corrupt  world  !  "  he  rather  whispered, 
than  uttered  aloud.  "Would  that  thus  they  might  all  con- 


92  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

tinue  !  Thou  art  a  singular  compound  of  thy  sex's  weak 
ness  and  of  manly  resolution,  belle  Barberie  ;  but  trust 
me,"  and  he  laid  his  hand  on  his  heart  with  an  earnestness 
that  spoke  well  for  his  sincerity  ;  "  ere  word,  or  act,  to  harm 
or  to  offend  thee  should  proceed  from  any  one  who  obeys 
will  of  mine,  nature  itself  must  undergo  a  change.  Start 
not,  for  I  call  one  to  show  the  specimens  you  would  see." 

He  then  applied  a  little  silver  whistle  to  his  lips  and 
drew  a  low  signal  from  the  instrument,  motioning  to  Ali- 
da  to  await  the  result  without  alarm.  In  half  a  minute 
there  was  a  rustling  among  the  leaves  of  the  shrubbery,  a 
moment  of  attentive  pause,  and  then  a  dark  object  entered 
the  window,  and  rolled  heavily  to  the  centre  of  the  floor. 

"  Here  are  our  commodities,  and  trust  me,  the  price 
shall  not  be  dwelt  on  between  us,"  resumed  Master  Sea- 
drift,  undoing  the  fastenings  of  the  little  bale  that  had 
entered  the  saloon  seemingly  without  the  aid  of  hands. 
"  These  goods  are  so  many  gages  of  neutrality  between 
us  ;  so  approach  and  examine  without  fear.  You  will  find 
some  among  them  to  well  reward  the  hazard." 

The  bale  was  now  open,  and  as  its  master  appeared  to 
be  singularly  expert  in  suiting  a  female  fancy,  it  appeared 
impossible  for  Alida  to  resist  any  longer.  She  gradually 
lost  her  reserve,  as  the  examination  proceeded  ;  and  before 
the  owner  of  the  treasures  had  got  into  the  third  of  his 
packages  the  hands  of  the  heiress  were  as  actively  em 
ployed  as  his  own  in  gaining  access  to  their  view. 

"  This  is  stuff  of  the  Lombard  territories,"  said  the  ven 
der  of  the  goods,  pleased  with  the  confidence  he  had  suc 
ceeded  in  establishing  between  his  beautiful  customer  and 
himself.  "  Thou  seest  it  is  rich,  flowery  and  variegated  as 
the  land  it  came  from.  One  might  fancy  the  vines  and 
vegetation  of  that  deep  soil  were  shooting  from  this  labor 
of  the  loom — nay,  the  piece  is  sufficient  for  any  toilet, 
however  ample  ;  see,  it  is  endless  as  the  plains  that  reared 
the  animal  who  supplies  the  texture.  I  have  parted  of 
that  fabric  to  many  dames  of.  England,  who  have  not  dis 
dained  to  traffic  with  one  that  risks  much  in  their  behalf." 

"  I  fear  there  are  many  who  find  pleasure  in  these  stuffs, 
chiefly  because  their  use  is  forbidden." 

"  Twould  not  be  out  of  nature  !  Look  ;  this  box  con 
tains  ornaments  of  the  elephant's  tooth,  cut  by  a  cunning 
artificer  in  the  far  Eastern  lands  ;  they  do  not  disfigure  a 
lady's  dressing  table,  and  have  a  moral,  for  they  remind 


THE   WATER- WITCH.  93 

her  of  countries  where  the  inhabitants  are  less  happy  than 
at  home.  Ah  !  here  is  a  treasure  of  Mechlin,  wrought  in 
a  fashion  of  my  own  design." 

"Tis  beautifully  fancied,  and  might  do  credit  to  one 
who  professed  the  painter's  art." 

"  My  youth  was  much  employed  in  these  conceits,"  re 
turned  the  trader,  unfolding  the  rich  and  delicate  lace,  in 
a  manner  to  show  he  had  still  a  pleasure  in  contemplating 
its  texture  and  quality.  "There  was  a  compact  between 
me  and  the  maker,  that  enough  should  be  furnished  to 
reach  from  the  high  church-tower  of  his  town  to  the  pave 
ment  beneath  ;  and  yet,  you  see  how  little  remains  !  The 
London  dames  found  it  to  their  taste,  and  it  was  not  easy 
to  bring  even  this  trifle  into  the  colonies." 

"  You  chose  a  remarkable  measure  for  an  article  that  was 
to  visit  so  many  different  countries  without  the  formalities 
of  law!" 

"We  thought  to  start  in  the  favor  of  the  Church,  which 
rarely  frowns  on  those  who  respect  its  privileges.  Under 
the  sanction  of  such  authority,  I  will  lay  aside  all  that  re 
mains,  certain  it  will  be  needed  for  thy  use." 

"So  rare  a  manufacture  should  be  costly?" 

La  belle  Barberie  spoke  hesitatingly,  and  as  she  raised 
her  eyes,  they  met  the  dark  organs  of  her  companion, 
fixed  on  her  face,  in  a  manner  that  seemed  to  express  a 
consciousness  of  the  ascendency  he  was  gaining.  Start 
led  at  she  knew  not  what,  the  maiden  again  added  hast- 
ily- 

"This  may  be  fitter  for  a  court  lady  than  a  girl  of  the 
colonies." 

"  None  who  have  yet  worn  it  so  well  become  it ;  I  lay  it 
here  as  a  make-weight  in  my  bargain  with  the  Alderman. 
This  is  satin  of  Tuscany  ;  a  country  where  nature  exhibits 
its  extremes,  and  one  whose  merchants  were  princes.  Your 
Florentine  was  subtle  in  his  fabrics,  and  happy  in  his  con 
ceits  of  forms  and  colors,  for  which  he  stood  indebted  to 
the  riches  of  his  own  climate.  Observe — the  hue  of  this 
glossy  surface  is  scarcely  so  delicate  as  I  have  seen  the 
rosy  light,  at  even,  playing  on  the  sides  of  his  Appenines !  " 

"You  have  then  visited  the  regions  in  whose  fabrics  you 
deal  ? "  said  Alida,  suffering  the  article  to  fall  from  her 
hand  in  the  stronger  interest  she  began  to  feel  in  their 
owner. 

"'Tis  my  habit.     Here  have  we  a  chain  from  the  city  of 


\ 
94  THE   WATER- WITCH. 

the  Isles.  The  hand  of  a  Venetian  could  alone  form 
these  delicate  and  nearly  insensible  links.  I  refused  a 
string  of  spotless  pearls  for  that  same  golden  web." 

"  It  was  indiscreet,  in  one  who  trades  at  so  much 
hazard." 

"  I  kept  the  bauble  for  my  pleasure  !  Whim  is  some 
times  stronger  than  the  thirst  of  gain  ;  and  this  chain  does 
not  quit  me  until  I  bestow  it  on  the  lady  of  my  love." 

"  One  so  actively  employed  can  scarcely  spare  time  to 
seek  a  fitting  object  for  the  gift." 

"Is  merit  and  loveliness  in  the  sex  so  rare  ?  La  belle 
Barberie  speaks  in  the  security  of  many  conquests,  or  she 
would  not  deal  thus  lightly  in  a  matter  that  is  so  serious 
writh  most  females." 

"Among  other  countries  your  vessel  hath  visited  a  land 
of  witchcraft,  or  you  would  not  pretend  to  a  knowledge  of 
tilings,  that,  in  their  very  nature,  must  be  hidden  from 
a  stranger.  Of  what  value  may  be  those  beautiful  feath 
ers  of  the  ostrich?" 

"They  came  of  swarthy  Africa,  though  so  spotless 
themselves.  The  bunch  was  had,  by  secret  traffic,  from  a 
Moorish  man,  in  exchange  for  a  few  skins  of  Lachryma 
Christi,  that  he  swallowed  with  his  eyes  shut.  I  dealt  with 
the  fellow  only  in  pity  for  his  thirst,  and  do  not  pride  my 
self  on  the  value  of  the  commodity.  It  shall  go,  too,  to 
quicken  love  between  me  and  thy  uncle." 

Alida  could  not  object  to  this  liberality,  though  she  was 
not  without  a  secret  opinion  that  the  gifts  were  no  more 
than  delicate  and  well-concealed  offerings  to  herself.  The 
effect  of  this  suspicion  was  two-fold  :  it  caused  the  maiden 
to  become  more  reserved  in  the  expression  of  her  tastes, 
though  it  in  no  degree  lessened  her  confidence  in,  and  ad 
miration  of,  the  wayward  and  remarkable  trader. 

"  My  uncle  will  have  cause  to  commend  thy  generous 
spirit,"  said  the  heiress,  bending  her  head  a  little  coldly,  at 
this  repeated  declaration  of  her  companion's  intentions, 
"  though  it  would  seem,  that,  in  trade,  justice  is  as  much 
to  be  desired  as  generosity  ;  this  seemeth  a  curious  design, 
wrought  with  the  needle  ! " 

"  It  is  the  labor  of  many  a  day,  fashioned  by  the  hand  of 
a  recluse.  I  bought  it  of  a  nun,  in  France,  who  passed 
years  in  toil  upon  the  conceit,  which  is  of  more  value  than 
the  material.  The  meek  daughter  of  solitude  wept  when 
she  parted  with  the  fabric,  for,  in  her  eyes,  it  had  the  tie 


THE  WATER- WITCH.  95 

of  association  and  habit.  A  companion  might  be  lost  to 
one  who  lives  in  the  confusion  of  the  world,  and  it  should 
not  cause  more  real  sorrow  than  parting  from  the  product 
of  her  needle  gave  that  mild  resident  of  the  cloisters  !" 

"  And  is  it  permitted  for  your  sex  to  visit  those  places  of 
religious  retirement  ?"  asked  Alida.  "  I  come  of  a  race 
that  pays  little  deference  to  monastic  life,  for  we  are 
refugees  from  the  severity  of  Louis  ;  but  yet  I  never  heard 
my  father  charge  these  females  with  being  so  regardless  of 
their  vows." 

"  The  fact  was  so  repeated  to  me  ;  for,  surely,  my  sex  are 
not  admitted  to  traffic,  directly,  with' the  modest  sisters"  (a 
smile,  that  Alida  was  half-disposed  to  think  bold,  played 
about  the  handsome  mouth  of  the  speaker)  ;  "  but  it  was 
so  reported.  What  is  your  opinion  of  the  merit  of  woman, 
in  thus  seeking  refuge  from  the  cares,  and  haply  from  the 
sins,  of  the  world,  in  institutions  of  this  order  ?" 

"Truly  the  question  exceedeth  my  knowledge.  This  is 
not  a  country  to  immure  females,  and  the  custom  causes 
us  of  America  little  thought." 

"The  usage  hath  its  abuses,"  continued  the  dealer  in 
contraband,  speaking  thoughtfully  ;  "  but  it  is  not  without 
its  good.  There  are  many  of  the  weak  and  vain  that  would 
be  happier  in  the  cloisters  than  if  left  to  the  seductions  and 
follies  of  life.  Ah!  here  is  work  of  English  hands.  I 
scarcely  know  how  the  articles  found  their  way  into  the 
company  of  the  products  of  the  foreign  looms.  My  bales 
contain,  in  general,  little  that  is  vulgarly  sanctioned  by 
the  law.  Speak  me  frankly,  belle  Alida,  and  say  if  you 
share  in  the  prejudices  against  the  character  of  us  free 
traders?"  » 

"I  pretend  not  to  judge  of  regulations  that  exceed  the 
knowledge  and  practices  of  my  sex,"  returned  the  maiden, 
with  commendable  reserve.  "  There  are  some  who  think 
the  abuse  of  power  a  justification  of  its  resistance,  while 
others  deem  a  breach  of  law  to  be  a  breach  of  morals." 

"  The  latter  is  the  doctrine  of  your  man  of  invested 
moneys  and  established  fortune  !  He  has  intrenched  his 
gains  behind  acknowledged  barriers,  and  he  preaches  their 
sanctity,  because  they  favor  his  selfishness.  We  skimmers 
of  the  sea — " 

Alida  started  so  suddenly  as  to  cause  her  companion  to 
cease  speaking. 

"Are  my  words  frightful,  that  you  pale  at  their  sound  ?" 


96  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

"  I  hope  they  were  used  rather  in  accident  than  with 
their  dreaded  meaning.  I  would  not  have  it  said — no  !  'tis 
but  a  chance  that  springs  from  some  resemblance  in  your 
callings.  One  like  you  can  never  be  the  man  whose  name 
has  grown  into  a  proverb  ! " 

"  One  like  me,  beautiful  Alida,  is  much  as  fortune  wills. 
Of  what  man,  or  of  what  name,  wouldst  speak  ?" 

"'Tis  nothing,"  returned  la  belle  Barberie,  gazing  un 
consciously  at  the  polished  and  graceful  features  of  the 
stranger  longer  than  was  wont  in  maiden.  "  Proceed  with 
your  explanation  ;  these  are  rich  velvets ! " 

"They  come  of  Venice,  too  ;  but  commerce  is  like  the 
favor  which  attends  the  rich,  and  the  Queen  of  the  Adri 
atic  is  already  far  on  the  decline.  That  which  causes  the 
increase  of  the  husbandman  occasions  the  downfall  of  a 
city.  The  lagunes  are  filling  with  fat  soil,  and  the  keel  of 
the  trader  is  less  frequent  there  than  of  old.  Ages  hence, 
the  plow  may  trace  furrows  where  the  Bucentaur  has 
floated  !  The  outer  India  passage  has  changed  the  current 
of  prosperity,  which  ever  rushes  in  the  widest  and  newest 
track.  Nations  might  learn  a  moral  by  studying  the  sleepy 
canals  and  magnificence  of  that  fallen  town  ;  but  pride  fat 
tens  on  its  own  lazy  recollections,  to  the  last  !  As  I  was 
saying,  we  rovers  deal  little  in  musty  maxims,  that  are  made 
by  the  great  and  prosperous  at  home,  and  are  trumpeted 
abroad,  in  order  that  the  weak  and  unhappy  should  be  the 
more  closely  riveted  in  their  fetters." 

"  Methinks  you  push  the  principle  farther  than  is  neces 
sary  for  one  whose  greatest  offence  against  established 
usage  is  a  little  hazardous  commerce.  These  are  opinions 
that  might  unsettle  the  world." 

"  Rather  settle  it  by  referring  all  to  the  rule  of  right. 
When  governments  shall  lay  their  foundations  in  natural 
justice,  when  their  object  shall  be  to  remove  the  tempta 
tions  to  err,  instead  of  creating  them,  and  when  bodies  of 
men  shall  feel  and  acknowledge  the  responsibilities  of  in 
dividuals — why, then  the  Water-Witch  herself  might  become 
a  revenue-cutter,  and  her  owner  an  officer  of  the  customs  !" 

The  velvet  fell  from  the  hands  of  la  belle  Barberie,  and 
she  rose  from  her  seat  with  precipitation. 

"Speak  plainly,"  said  Alida,  with  all  her  natural  firm 
ness.  "  With  whom  am  I  about  to  traffic  ?  " 

"  An  outcast  of  society — a  man  condemned  in  the 
opinions  of  the  world — the  outlaw — the  flagrant  wanderer 


THE   WA  TER-  WITCH. 


97 


of  the  ocean — the  lawless  Skimmer  of  the  Seas  !"  cried  a 
voice  at  the  open  window. 

In  another  minute,  Ludlow  was  in  the  room.  Alida 
uttered  a  shriek,  veiled  her  face  in  her  robe,  and  rushed 
from  the  apartment. 


CHAPTER  XL 

Truth  will  come  to  light ; 

Murder  cannot  be  hid  long,  a  man's  son  may  ; 
But  in  the  end,  truth  will  out. — Lancelot. 

THE  officer  of  the  Queen  had  leaped  into  the  pavilion  with 
the  flushed  features  and  all  the  hurry  of  an  excited  man. 
The  exclamations  and  retreat  of  la  belle  Barberie,  for  a 
single  moment,  diverted  his  attention  ;  then  he  turned,  sud 
denly,  not  to  say  fiercely,  toward  her  companion.  It  is  not 
necessary  to  repeat  the  description  of  the  stranger's  person 
in  order  to  render  the  change,  which  instantly  occurred  in 
the  countenance  of  Ludlow,  intelligible  to  the  reader.  His 
eye,  at  first,  refused  to  believe  there  was  no  other  present  ; 
and  when  it  had,  again  and  again,  searched  the  whole 
apartment,  it  returned  to  the  face  and  form  of  the  dealer 
in  contraband,  with  an  expression  of  incredulity  and 
wonder. 

"  Here  is  some  mistake  ?"  exclaimed  the  commander  of 
the  Coquette,  after  time  had  been  given  fora  thorough  ex 
amination  of  the  room. 

"  Your  gentle  manner  of  entrance,"  returned  the  stran 
ger,  across  whose  face  there  had  passed  a  glow  that  might 
have  come  equally  of  anger  or  of  surprise,  "  has  driven  the 
lady  from  the  room.  But  as  you  wear  the  livery  of  the 
Queen,  I  presume  you  have  authority  for  invading  the 
dwelling  of  the  subject  ?  " 

"  I  had  believed — nay,  there  was  reason  to  be  certain, 
that  one  whom  all  of  proper  loyalty  execrate,  was  to  be 
found  here,"  stammered  the  still  confused  Ludlow.  "There 
can  scarce  be  a  deception,  for  I  plainly  heard  the  discourse 
of  my  captors — and  yet  here  is  none." 

"  I  thank  you  for  the  high  consideration  you  bestow  on 
my  presence.." 

The  manner,  rather  than  the  words,  of  the  speaker,  in 
duced  Ludlow  to  rivet  another  look  on  his  countenance. 


98  THE  WATER-WITCH. 

There  was  a  mixed  expression  of  doubt,  admiration,  and 
possibly  of  uneasiness,  if  not  of  actual  jealousy,  in  the  eye, 
which  slowly  read  all  his  lineaments,  though  the  former 
seemed  the  stronger  sensation  of  the  three. 

"We  have  never  met  before  !  "  cried  Ludlow,  when  the 
organ  began  to  grow  dim  with  the  length  and  steadiness 
of  its  gaze.  * 

"  The  ocean  has  many  paths,  and  men  may  journey  on 
them  long  without  crossing  each  other." 

"  Thou  hast  served  the  Queen,  though  I  seethee  in  this 
doubtful  situation  ? " 

"  Never.  I  am  not  one  to  bind  myself  to  the  servitude 
of  any  woman  that  lives,"  returned  the  freetrader,  while  a 
mild  smile  played  about  his  lip,  "though  she  wore  a 
thousand  diadems  ;  Anne  never  had  an  hour  of  my  time 
nor  a  single  wish  of  my  heart." 

"This  is  bold  language,  sir,  for  the  ear  of  her  officer. 
The  arrival  of  an  unknown  brigantine,  certain  incidents 
which  have  occurred  to  myself  this  night,  your  presence 
here,  that  bale  of  articles  forbidden  by  the  law,  create  sus 
picions  that  must  be  satisfied.  Who  are  you  ?" 

"  The  flagrant  wanderer  of  the  ocean — the  outcast  of 
society — the  condemned  in  the  opinions  of  the  world — the 
lawless  Skimmer  of  the  Seas !  " 

"This  cannot  be!  The  tongues  of  men  speak  of  the 
personal  deformity  of  that  wanderer,  no  less  than  of  his 
bold  disregard  of  the  law.  You  would  deceive  me." 

"  If  then  men  err  so  much  in  that  which  is  visible  and 
unimportant,"  returned  the  other,  proudly,  "  is  there  not 
reason  to  doubt  their  accuracy  in  matters  of  more  weight  ? 
I  am  surely  what  I  seem,  if  I  am  not  what  I  say." 

"  I  will  not  credit  so  improbable  a  tale  ;  give  me  some 
proof  that  what  I  hear  is  true." 

"Look  at  that  brigantine,  whose  delicate  spars  are 
almost  confounded  with  the  background  of  trees,"  said  the 
other,  approaching  the  window,  and  directing  the  atten 
tion  of  his  companion  to  the  Cove  ;  "  'tis  the  bark  that  has 
so  often  foiled  the  efforts  of  all  thy  cruisers,  and  which 
transports  me  and  my  wealth  whither  I  will,  without  the 
fetters  of  arbitrary  laws,  and  the  meddling  inquiries  of 
venal  hirelings.  The  scud  which  floats  above  the  sea  is 
not  freer  than  that  vessel,  and  scarcely  more  swift.  Well 
is  she  named  the  Water-Witch  !  for  her  performances  on 
the  wide  ocean  have  been  such  as  seem  to  exceed  all 


THE  WATER-WITCH.  99 

natural  means.  The  froth  of  the  sea  does  not  dance  more 
lightly  above  the  waves  than  yonder  graceful  fabric,  when 
driven  by  the  breeze.  She  is  a  thing  to  be  loved,  Ludlow, 
trust  me,  I  never  yet  set  affections  on  a  woman  with  the 
warmth  I  feel  for  the  faithful  and  beautiful  machine  !  " 

"  This  is  little  more  than  any  mariner  could  say  in  praise 
of  a  vessel  that  he  admired." 

"Will  you  say  the  same  of  yon  lumbering  sloop  of 
Queen  Anne  ?  Your  Coquette  is  none  of  the  fairest,  and 
there  was  more  of  pretension  than  of  truth  at  her  christen 
ing." 

"  By  the  title  of  my  royal  mistress,  young  beardless, 
but  there  is  an  insolence  in  this  language  that  might  be 
come  him  you  wish  to  represent !  My  ship,  heavy  or 
light  of  foot  as  she  may  be,  is  fated  to  bring  yonder  false 
trader  to  the  judgment." 

"  By  the  craft  and  qualities  of  the  Water-Witch  !  but 
this  language  might  become  one  who  was  at  liberty  to  act 
his  pleasure,"  returned  the  stranger,  tauntingly  imitating 
the  tone  in  which  his  angry  companion  had  spoken.  "  You 
would  have  proof  of  my  identity  :  listen.  There  is  one 
who  vaunts  his  power,  that  forgets  he  is  a  dupe  of  my 
agent  ;  and  that  even  while  his  words  are  so  full  of  bold 
ness,  he  is  a  captive  !  " 

The  brown  cheek  of  Ludlow  reddened,  and  he  turned 
toward  the  lighter  and  far  less  vigorous  frame  of  his  com 
panion,  as  if  about  to  strike  him  to  the  earth,  when  a  door 
opened,  and  Alida  appeared  in  the  saloon. 

The  meeting  between  the  commander  of  the  Coquette 
and  his  mistress  was  not  without  embarrassment.  The 
anger  of  the  former  and  the  confusion  of  the  latter  for  a 
moment,  kept  both  silent ;  but  as  la  belle  Barberie  had  not 
returned  without  an  object,  she  was  quick  to  speak. 

"  I  know  not  whether  to  approve  or  to  condemn  the 
motive  that  has  prompted  Captain  Ludlow  to  enter  my 
pavilion  at  this  unseasonable  hour,  and  in  so  uncere 
monious  a  manner,"  she  said,  "for  I  am  still  ignorant  of 
his  motive.  When  he  shall  please  to  let  me  hear  it,  I  may 
judge  better  of  the  merit  of  the  excuse." 

"True,  we  will  hear  his  explanation  before  condemna 
tion,"  added  the  stranger,  offering  a  seat  to  Alida,  which 
she  coldly  declined.  "  Beyond  a  doubt  the  gentleman  has 
a  motive." 

If  looks  could  have  destroyed,  the  speaker  would  have 


TOO  THE  WATER-WITCH. 

been  annihilated.  But  as  the  lady  seemed  indifferent  to 
the  last  remark,  Ludlow  prepared  to  enter  on  his  vindica 
tion. 

"  I  shall  not  attempt  to  conceal  that  an  artifice  has  been 
practised,"  he  said,  "which  is  accompanied  by  conse 
quences  that  I  find  awkward.  The  air  and  manner  of  the 
seaman,  whose  bold  conduct  you  witnessed  in  the  boat,  in 
duced  me  to  confide  in  him  more  than  was  prudent,  and  I 
have  been  rewarded  by  deception." 

"  In  other  words,  Captain  Ludlow  is  not  so  sagacious  as 
lie  had  reason  to  believe,"  said  an  ironical  voice  at  his 
elbow. 

"  In  what  manner  am  I  to  blame,  or  why  is  my  privacy 
to  be  interrupted,  because  a  wandering  seaman  has  de* 
ceived  the  commander  of  the  Coquette  ?"  rejoined  Alida. 
"Not  only  that  audacious  mariner,  but  this — this  person," 
she  added,  adopting  a  word  that  use  has  appropriated  to 
the  multitude,  "  is  a  stranger  to  me.  There  is  no  other 
connection  between  us  than  that  you  see." 

"  It  is  not  necessary  to  say  why  I  landed,"  continued 
Ludlow,  "  but  I  was  weak  enough  to  allow  that  unknown 
mariner  to  quit  my  ship  in  my  company  ;  and  when  I 
would  return,  he  found  means  to  disarm  my  men,  and 
make  me  a  prisoner." 

"  And  yet  art  thou,  for  a  captive,  tolerably  free  !  "  added 
the  ironical  voice. 

"Of  what  service  is  this  freedom,  without  the  means  of 
using  it  ?  The  sea  separates  me  from  my  ship,  and  my 
faithful  boat's  crew  are  in  fetters.  I  have  been  little 
watched  myself  ;  but  though  forbidden  to  approach  certain 
points,  enough  has  been  seen  to  leave  no  doubts  of  the 
character  of  those  whom  Alderman  Van  Beverout  enter 
tains." 

"Thou  wouldst  also  say,  and  his  niece,  Ludlow?" 

"  I  would  say  nothing  harsh  to,  or  disrespectful  of,  Alida 
de  Barberie.  I  will  not  deny  that  a  harrowing  idea 
possessed  me  ;  but  I  see  my  error,  and  repent  having  been 
too  hasty." 

"We  may  then  resume  our  commerce,"  said  the  trader, 
coolly  seating  himself  before  the  open  bale,  while  Ludlow 
and  the  maiden  stood  regarding  each  other  in  mute  sur 
prise.  "  It  is  pleasant  to  exhibit  those  forbidden  treasures 
to  an  officer  of  the  Queen.  It  may  prove  the  means  of 
gaining  the  royal  patronage.  We  were  last  among  the 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  101 

velvets,  and  on  the  lagunes,  of  Venice.  Here  is  one  of  a 
color  and  quality  to  form  a  bridal  dress  for  the  Doge  him 
self,  in  his  nuptials  with  the  sea !  We  men  of  the  ocean 
look  upon  that  ceremony  as  a  pledge  Hymen  will  not  for 
get  us,  though  we  may  wander  from  his  altars.  Do  I  jus 
tice  to  the  faith  of  the  craft,  Captain  Ludlow  ? — or  are  you 
a  sworn  devotee  of  Neptune,  and  content  to  breathe  your 
sighs  to  Venus,  when  afloat?  Well,  if  the  damps  and  salt 
air  of  the  ocean  rust  the  golden  chain,  it  is  the  fault  of 
cruel  nature  !  Ah  !  here  is " 

A  shrill  whistle  sounded  among  the  shrubbery,  and  the 
speaker  became  mute.  Throwing  his  cloths  carelessly  on 
the  bale,  he  rose  again,  and  seemed  to  hesitate.  Through 
out  the  interview  with  Ludlow,  the  air  of  the  freetrader 
had  been  mild,  though  at  times  it  was  playful  ;  and  not  for 
an  instant  had  he  seemed  to  return  the  resentment  which 
the  other  had  so  plainly  manifested.  It  now  became  per 
plexed,  and,  by  the  workings  of  his  features,  it  would  seem 
that  he  vacillated  in  his  opinions.  The  sounds  of  the  whis 
tle  were  heard  again. 

"  Aye,  aye,  Master  Tom,"  muttered  the  dealer  in  contra 
band.  "  Thy  note  is  audible,  but  why  this  haste  ?  Beau 
tiful  Alida,  this  shrill  summons  is  to  say  that  the  moment 
of  parting  is  arrived  !  " 

"We  met  with  less  of  preparation,"  returned  la  belle 
Barberie,  who  preserved  all  the  distant  reserve  of  her  sex, 
under  the  jealous  eyes  of  her  admirer. 

"  We  met  without  a  warning,  but  shall  our  separation 
be  without  a  memorial  ?  Am  I  to  return  with  all  these 
valuables  to  the  brigantine,  or  in  their  place  must  I  take 
the  customary  golden  tribute  ?  " 

"  I  know  not  that  I  dare  make  a  traffic  which  is  not 
sanctioned  by  the  law  in  presence  of  a  servant  of  the 
Queen,"  returned  Alida,  smiling.  "  I  will  not  deny  that 
you  have  much  to  excite  a  woman's  envy;  but  our  royal 
mistress  might  forget  her  sex,  and  show  little  pity,  were 
she  to  hear  of  my  weakness." 

"  No  fear  of  that,  lady/  Tis  they  who  are  most  stern  in 
creating  these  harsh  regulations  that  show  most  frailty  in 
their  breach.  By  the  virtues  of  honest  Leadenhall  itself, 
but  I  should  like  to  tempt  the  royal  Anne  in  her  closet 
with  such  a  display  of  goodly  laces  and  heavy  brocades  !  " 

"  That  might  be  more  hazardous  than  wise  ! " 

"  I  know  not.     Though  seated  on   a  throne,  she  is  but 


102  THE   WATER-WITCH, 

woman.  Disguise  nature  as  thou  wilt,  she  is  a  universal 
tyrant,  and  governs  all  alike.  The  head  that  wears  a 
crown  dreams  of  the  conquest  of  the  sex,  rather  than  of  the 
conquest  of  states;  the  hand  that  wields  the  sceptre  is  fitted 
to  display  its  prettiness  with  the  pencil  or  the  needle  ;  and 
though  words  and  ideas  may  be  taught  and  sounded  forth 
with  the  pomp  of  royalty,  the  tone  is  still  that  of  woman." 

"Without  bringing  into  question,  the  merits  of  our 
present  royal  mistress,"  said  Alida,  who  was  a  little  apt 
to  assert  her  sex's  rights,  "  there  is  the  example  of  the  glo 
rious  Elizabeth,  to  refute  this  charge." 

"  Aye,  we  have  had  our  Cleopatras  in  the  sea  fight,  and 
fear  was  found  stronger  than  love  !  The  sea  has  monsters, 
and  so  may  have  the  land.  He  that  made  the  earth  gave 
it  laws  that  'tis  not  good  to  break.  We  men  are  jealous 
of  our  qualities,  and  little  like  to  see  them  usurped  ;  and 
trust  me,  lady,  she  who  forgets  the  means  that  nature  be 
stows,  may  mourn  in  sorrow  over  the  fatal  error.  But  shall 
we  deal  in  velvet,  or  is  your  taste  more  leaning  to  brocade  ? " 

Alida  and  Ludlow  listened  in  admiration  to  the  capri 
cious  and  fanciful  language  of  the  unaccountable  trader, 
and  both  were  equally  at  a  loss  to  estimate  his  character. 
The  equivocal  air  was  in  general  well  maintained,  though 
the  commander  of  the  Coquette  had  detected  an  earnest 
ness  and  feeling  in  his  manner  when  he  more  particularly 
addressed  la  belle  Barberie  that  excited  an  uneasiness  he 
was  ashamed  to  admit,  even  to  himself.  That  the  maiden 
herself  observed  this  change  might  also  be  inferred  from  a 
richer  glow  which  diffused  itself  over  her  features,  though 
it  is  scarcely  probable  that  she  was  conscious  of  its  effects. 
When  questioned  as  to  her  determination  concerning  his 
goods,  she  again  regarded  Ludlow,  doubtingly,  ere  she 
answered. 

"  That  you  have  not  studied  woman  in  vain,"  she  laugh 
ingly  replied,  "  I  must  fain  acknowledge.  And  yet,  ere  I 
make  a  decision,  suffer  me  to  consult  those  who,  being 
more  accustomed  to  deal  with  the  laws,  are  better  judges 
of  the  propriety  of  the  purchases." 

"  If  this  request  were  not  reasonable  in  itself,  it  were 
due  to  your  beauty  and  station,  lady,  to  grant  it.  I  leave 
the  bale  in  your  care  ;  and  before  the  morrow's  sun  has 
set,  one  will  await  the  answer.  Captain  Ludlow,  are  we 
to  part  in  friendship,  or  does  your  duty  to  the  Queen  pro 
scribe  the  word  ?" 


THE  WATER-WITCH. 


103 


"  If  what  you  seem,  "said  Ludlow,  "you  are  a  being  inex 
plicable  !  If  this  be  some  masquerade,  as  I  half  suspect, 
'tis  well  maintained  at  least,  though  not  worthily  assumed." 

"  You  are  not  the  first  who  has  refused  credit  to  his 
senses  in  a  matter  wherein  the  Water-Witch  and  her  com 
mander  have  been  concerned.  Peace,  honest  Tom  ;  thy 
whistle  will  not  hasten  Father  Time  !  Friend  or  not,  Cap 
tain  Ludlow  need  not  be  told  he  is  my  prisoner." 

"That  I  have  fallen  into  the  power  of  a  miscreant — 

"  Hist !  if  thou  hast  love  of  bodily  ease  and  whole  bones, 
Master  Tom  Tiller  is  a  man  of  rude  humor,  and  as  little 
likes  contumely  as  another.  Besides,  the  honest  mariner 
did  but  obey  my  orders,  and  his  character  is  protected  by 
a  superior  responsibility." 

"  Thy  orders  !  "  repeated  Ludlow,  with  an  expression  of 
eye  and  lip  that  might  have  offended  one  more  disposed  to 
take  offence  than  him  he  addressed.  "  The  fellow  who  so 
well  succeeded  in  his  artifice  is  one  much  more  likely  to 
command  than  to  obey.  If  any  here  be  the  Skimmer  of 
the  Seas,  it  is  he." 

"  We  are  no  more  than  the  driving  spray  which  goes 
whither  the  winds  list.  But  in  what  hath  the  man  offended 
that  he  finds  so  little  favor  with  the  Queen's  Captain  ?  He 
has  not  had  the  boldness  to  propose  a  secret  traffic  with  so 
loyal  a  gentleman  ?" 

"  Tis  well,  sir;  you  choose  a  happy  occasion  for  this 
pleasantry.  I  landed  to  manifest  the  respect  that  I  feel 
for  this  lady,  and  I  care  not  if  the  world  knows  the  object 
of  the  visit.  'Twas  no  silly  artifice  that  led  me  hither." 

"  Spoken  with  the  frankness  of  a  seaman  !  "  said  the  in 
explicable  dealer  in  contraband,  though  his  color  lessened, 
and  his  voice  appeared  to  hesitate.  "  I  admire  this  loyalty 
in  man  to  woman  ;  for  as  custom  has  so  strongly  fettered 
them  in  the  expression  of  their  inclinations,  it  is  due  from 
us  to  leave  as  little  doubt  as  possible  of  our  intentions.  It 
is  difficult  to  think  that  la  belle  Barberie  can  do  wiser  than 
to  reward  so  much  manly  admiration." 

The  stranger  cast  a  glance,  which  Alida  fancied  betrayed 
solicitude,  as  he  spoke,  at  the  maiden,  and  he  appeared  to 
expect  she  wrould  reply. 

"  When  the  time  shall  come  for  a  decision,"  returned  the 
half-pleased  and  yet  half-offended  subject  of  his  allusion, 
"  it  may  be  necessary  to  call  upon  very  different  counsel 
lors  for  advice.  I  hear  the  step  of  my  uncle.  Captain 


104  THB  WATER-WITCH. 

Ludlow,  I  leave  it  to  your  discretion  to  meet  him  or 
not" 

The  heavy  footstep  was  approaching  through  the  outer 
rooms  of  the  pavilion.  Ludlovv  hesitated  ;  cast  a  reproach 
ful  look  at  his  mistress  ;  then  he  instantly  quitted  the 
apartment  by  the  place  through  which  he  had  entered.  A 
noise  in  the  shrubbery  sufficiently  proved  that  his  return 
was  expected,  and  that  he  was  closely  watched. 

"  Noah's  Ark,  and  our  grandmothers  !  "  exclaimed  Myn- 
dert,  appearing  at  the  door  with  a  face  red  with  his  exer 
tions.  "  You  have  brought  us  the  cast-off  finery  of  our 
ancestors,  Master  Seadrift.  Here  are  stuffs  of  an  age  that 
is  past,  and  they  should  be  bartered  for  gold  that  hath 
been  spent." 

"  What  now  !  what  now  ! "  responded  the  freetrader, 
whose  tone  and  manner  seemed  to  change  at  will,  in  order 
to  suit  the  humor  of  whomsoever  he  was  brought  to  speak 
with.  "  What  now,  pertinacious  burgher,  that  thou  shouldst 
cry  down  wares  that  are  but  too  good  for  these  distant 
regions  !  Many  is  the  English  duchess  who  pines  to  pos 
sess  but  the  tithe  of  these  beautiful  stuffs  I  offer  thy  niece, 
and  faith — rare  is  the  English  duchess  that  would  become 
them  half  so  well !" 

"  The  girl  is  seemly,  and  thy  velvets  and  brocades  are 
passable,  but  the  heavy  articles  are  not  fit  to  offer  to  a 
Mohawk  Sachem.  There  must  be  a  reduction  of  prices,  or 
the  invoice  cannot  pass." 

"  The  greater  the  pity.  But  if  sail  we  must,  sail  we  will ! 
The  brigantine  knows  the  channel  over  the  Nantucket 
sands  ;  and  my  life  on  it !  the  Yankees  will  find  others 
than  the  Mohawks  for  chapmen." 

"  Thou  art  as  quick  in  thy  notions,  Master  Seadrift,  as 
the  boat  itself.  Who  said  that  a  compromise  might  not  be 
made  when  discussion  was  prudently  and  fairly  exhausted  ? 
Strike  off  the  odd  florins,  leave  the  balance  in  round 
thousands,  and  thy  trade  is  done  for  the  season ! " 

"  Not  a  stiver.  Here,  count  me  back  the  faces  of  the 
Braganza  ;  throw  enough  of  thin  ducats  into  the  scales  to 
make  up  the  sum,  and  let  thy  slaves  push  inland  with  the 
articles  before  the  morning  light  comes  to  tell  the  story. 
Here  has  been  one  among  us  who  may  do  mischief,  if  he 
will  ;  though  I  know  not  how  far  he  is  master  of  the  main 
secret." 

Alderman  Van  Beyerout  stared  a  little  wildly  about  him,, 


THE   WATER- WITCH,  105 


adjusted  his  wig,  like  one  fully  conscious  of  the  value  of 
appearances  in  this  world,  and  then  cautiously  drew  the 
curtains  before  the  windows. 

"  I  know  of  none  more  than  common,  my  niece  ex- 
cepted,"  he  said,  when  all  these  precautions  had  been  ob 
served.  "  'Tis  true,  the  Patroon  of  Kinderhook  is  in  the 
house  ;  but  as  the  man  sleeps,  he  is  a  witness  in  our  favor. 
We  have  the  testimony  of  his  presence,  while  his  tongue  is 
silent." 

"Well,  be  it  so,"  rejoined  the  freetrader,  reading,  in  the 
imploring  eyes  of  Alida,  a  petition  that  he  would  say  no 
more.  "  I  knew  by  instinct  there  was  one  unusual,  and  it 
was  not  for  me  to  discover  that  he  sleeps.  There  are  dealers 
on  the  coast,  who,  for  the  sake  of  insurance,  would  charge 
his  presence  in  their  bills." 

"  Say  no  more,  worthy  Master  Seadrift,  and  take  the 
gold.  To  confess  the  truth,  the  goods  are  in  the  periagua 
and  fairly  out  of  the  river.  I  knew  we  should  come  to 
conclusions  in  the  matter,  and  time  is  precious,  as  there  is 
a  cruiser  of  the  Queen  so  nigh.  The  rogues  will  pass  the 
pennant,  like  innocent  market-people,  and  I'll  risk  a  Flem 
ish  gelding  against  a  Virginia  nag,  that  they  inquire  if  the 
Captain  has  no  need  of  vegetables  for  his  soup  !  Ah,  ha, 
ha,  ha !  That  Ludlow  is  a  simpleton,  niece  of  mine,  and 
he  is  not  yet  fit  to  deal  with  men  of  mature  years.  You'll 
think  better  of  his  qualities  one  day,  and  bid  him  begone 
like  an  unwelcome  dun." 

"  I  hope  these  proceedings  may  be  legally  sanctioned, 
uncle  ?" 

"  Sanctioned  !  Luck  sanctions  all.  It  is  in  trade  as  in 
war :  success  gives  character  and  booty  in  both.  Your 
rich  dealer  is  sure  to  be  your  honest  dealer.  Plantations 
and  orders  in  council !  What  are  our  rulers  doing  at  home, 
that  they  need  be  so  vociferous  about  a  little  contraband  ? 
The  rogues  will  declaim  by  the  hour  concerning  bribery 
and  corruption,  while  more  than  half  of  them  get  their 
seats  as  clandestinely — aye,  and  as  illegally,  as  you  get 
these  rare  Mechlin  laces.  Should  the  Queen  take  offence 
at  our  dealings,  Master  Seadrift,  bring  me  another  season 
or  two  as  profitable  as  the  last,  and  I'll  be  your  passenger 
to  London,  go  on  'Change,  buy  a  seat  in  Parliament,  and 
answer  to  the  royal  displeasure  from  my  place,  as  they  call 
it.  By  the  responsibility  of  the  States  General  !  but  I 
should  expect,  in  such  a  case,  to  return  Sir  Myndert,  and 


106  THE  WATER-WITCH. 

then  the  Manhattanese  might  hear  of  a  Lady  Van  Beverout, 
in  which  case,  pretty  Alida,  thy  assets  would  be  sadly 
diminished  ! — so  go  to  thy  bed,  child,  and  dream  of  fine 
laces  and  rich  velvets,  and  duty  to  old  uncles,  and  dis 
cretion,  and  all  manner  of  agreeable  things  ;  kiss  me,  jade, 
and  to  thy  pillow." 

Alida  obeyed,  and  was  preparing  to  quit  the  room,  when 
the  freetrader  presented  himself  before  her  with  an  air  at 
once  so  gallant  and  respectful  that  she  could  scarce  take 
offence  at  the  freedom. 

"  I  should  fail  in  gratitude,"  he  said,  "were  I  to  part 
from  so  generous  a  customer  without  thanks  for  her  liber 
ality.  The  hope  of  meeting  again  will  hasten  my  return." 

"  I  know  not  that  you  are  my  debtor  for  these  thanks," 
returned  Alida,  though  she  saw  that  the  Alderman  was 
carefully  collecting  the  contents  of  the  bale,  and  that  he 
had  already  placed  three  or  four  of  the  most  tempting  of 
its  articles  on  her  dressing-table.  "  We  cannot  be  said  to 
have  bargained." 

"  I  have  parted  with  more  than  is  visible  to  vulgar  eyes," 
returned  the  stranger,  dropping  his  voice,  and  speaking 
with  an  earnestness  that  caused  his  auditor  to  start. 
"Whether  there  will' be  a  return  for  the  gift,  or  per 
haps  I  had  better  call  it  loss,  time  and  my  stars  must 
show." 

He  then  took  her  hand,  and  raised  it  to  his  lips,  by  an 
action  so  graceful  and  so  gentle  as  not  to  alarm  the  maiden 
until' the  freedom  was  done.  La  belle  Barberie  reddened 
to  her  forehead,  seemed  disposed  to  condemn  the  liberty, 
frowned,  smiled,  and  courtesying  in  confusion,  withdrew. 

Several  minutes  passed  in  profound  silence,  after  Alida 
had  disappeared.  The  stranger  was  thoughtful,  though 
his  bright  eye  kindled  as  if  merry  thoughts  were  upper 
most  ;  and  he  paced  the  room  entirely  heedless  of  the 
existence  of  the  Alderman.  The  latter,  however,  soon 
took  occasion  to  remind  his  companion  of  his  presence. 

"  No  fear  of  the  girl's  prating,"  exclaimed  the  Alderman, 
when  his  task  was  ended.  "  She  is  an  excellent  and  duti 
ful  niece  ;  and  here,  you  see,  is  a  balance  on  her  side  of  the 
account  that  would  shut  the  mouth  of  the  First  Lord  of  the 
Treasury.  I  disliked  the  manner  in  which  you  would 
have  the  child  introduced  ;  for,  look  you,  I  do  not  think 
that  either  Monsieur  Barberie,  or  my  late  sister,  would 
altogether  approve  of  her  entering  into  traffic  so  very 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  107 

young  ;  but  what  is  done,  is  done  ;  and  the  Norman  him 
self  could  not  deny  that  I  have  made  a  fair  set-off,  of  very 
excellent  commodities,  for  his  daughter's  benefit.  When 
dost  mean  to  sail,  Mr.  Seadrift  ?" 

"  With  the  morning  tide.  I  little  like  the  neighborhood 
of  these  meddling  guarda-costas." 

c*  Bravely  answered  !  Prudence  is  a  cardinal  quality  in 
a  private  trader  ;  and  it  is  a  quality  that  I  esteem  in  Master 
Skimmer,  next  to  his  punctuality.  Dates  and  obligations  ! 
I  wish  half  of  the  firms,  of  three  and  four  names,  without 
counting  the  Co.'s,  were  as  much  to  be  depended  on. 
Dost  Hot  think  it  safer  to  repass  the  inlet  under  favor  of 
the  darkness?" 

"Tis  impossible.  The  flood  is  entering  it  like  water 
through  a  race-way,  and  we  have  the  wind  at  east.  But, 
fear  not  ;  the  brigantine  carries  no  vulgar  freight,  and  your 
commerce  has  given  us  a  swept  hold.  The  Queen  and  the 
Braganza,  with  Holland  ducats,  may  show  their  faces 
even  in  the  Royal  Exchequer  itself  !  we  have  no  want  of 
passes,  and  the  Miller's-M.iid  is  just  as  good  a  name  to  hail 
by  as  the  '  Water- Witch.'  We  begin  to  tire  of  this  constant 
running,  and  have  half  a  mind  to  taste  the  pleasures  of 
your  Jersey  sports  for  a  week.  There  should  be  shooting 
on  the  upper  plains." 

"Heaven  forbid!  Heaven  forbid!  Master  Seadrift.  I 
had  all  the  deer  taken  for  the  skins,  ten  years  ago  ;  and  as 
to  birds,  they  deserted  us  to  a  pigeon  when  the  last  tribe 
of  the  savages  went  west  of  the  Delaware.  Thou  hast 
discharged  thy  brigantine  to  better  effect  than  thou  couldst 
ever  discharge  thy  fowling-pieces.  I  hope  the  hospitality 
of  the  Lust  in  Rust  is  no  problem — but  blushes  and  curi 
osity  !  I  could  wish  to  keep  a  fair  countenance  among 
my  neighbors.  Art  sure  the  impertinent  masts  of  the 
brigantine  will  not  be  seen  above  the  trees  when  the  day 
comes  ?  This  Captain  Ludlow  is  no  laggard  when  he 
thinks  his  duty  actually  concerned." 

"  We  shall  endeavor  to  keep  him  quiet.  The  cover  of 
the  trees,  and  the  berth  of  the  boat,  make  all  snug,  as  re 
spects  his  people.  I  leave  worthy  Tiller  to  settle  balances 
between  us  ;  and  so,  I  take  my  leave.  Master  Alderman, 
a  word  at  parting.  Does  the  Viscount  Cornbury  still  tarry 
in  the  provinces  ?" 

"Like  a  fixture.  There  is  not  a  mercantile  house  in  the 
colony  more  firmly  established." 


io8  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

11  There  are  unsettled  affairs  between  us — a  small  pre 
mium  would  buy  the  obligations " 

"  Heaven  keep  thee,  Master  Seadrift,  and  pleasant  voy 
ages  back  and  forth!  As  for  the  Viscount's  responsibility 
—the  Queen  may  trust  him  with  another  Province,  but 
Myndert  Van  Beverout  would  not  give  him  credit  for  a 
tail  of  a  marten  ;  and  so,  again,  Heaven  preserve  thee !  " 

The  dealer  in  contraband  appeared  to  tear  himself  from 
the  sight  of  all  the  little  elegances  that  adorned  the  apart 
ment  of  la  belle  Barberie  with  reluctance.  His  adieus  to 
the  Alderman  were  rather  cavalier,  for  he  still  maintained 
a  cold  and  abstracted  air  ;  but  as  the  other  scarcely  ob 
served  the  forms  of  decorum,  in  his  evident  desire  to  get 
rid  of  his  guest,  the  latter  was  finally  obliged  to  depart. 
He  disappeared  by  the  low  balcony,  where  he  had  en 
tered. 

When  Myndert  Van  Beverout  was  alone,  he  shut  the 
windows  of  the  pavilion  of  his  niece,  and  retired  to  his 
own  part  of  the  dwelling.  Here  the  thrifty  burgher  first 
busied  himself  in  making  sundry  calculations,  with  a  zeal 
that  proved  how  much  his  mind  was  engrossed  by  the  oc 
cupation.  After  this  preliminary  step,  he  gave  a  short 
but  secret  confidence  to  the  mariner  of  the  India  shawl, 
during  which  there  was  much  clanking  of  gold  pieces. 
But  when  the  latter  retired,  the  master  of  the  villa  first 
looked  to  the  trifling  securities  which  were  then,  as  now, 
observed  in  the  fastenings  of  an  American  country-house  ; 
when  he  walked  forth  upon  the  lawn,  like  one  who  felt 
the  necessity  of  breathing  the  open  air.  He  cast  more 
than  one  inquiring  glance  at  the  windows  of  the  room 
wrhich  was  occupied  by  Oloff  Van  Staats,  where  all  was 
happily  silent ;  at  the  equally  immovable  brigantine  in  the 
Cove  ;  and  at  the  more  distant  and  still  motionless  hull  of 
the  cruiser  of  the  crown.  All  around  him  was  in  the  quiet 
of  midnight.  Even  the  boats  which  he  knew  to  be  plying 
between  the  land  and  the  little  vessel  at  anchor,  were  in 
visible  ;  and  he  re-enter.ed  his  habitation,  with  the  security 
one  would  be  apt  to  feel  under  similar  circumstances,  in  a 
region  so  little  tenanted,  and  so  little  watched,  as  that  in 
which  he  lived. 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  109 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Come  on,  Nerissa  ;  I  have  work  in  hand, 

That  you,  yet,  know  not  of. — Merchant  of  Venice. 

NOTWITHSTANDING  the  active  movements  which  had 
taken  place  in  and  around  the  buildings  of  the  Lust  in 
Rust  during  the  night  which  ended  with  our  last  chapter, 
none  but  the  initiated  were  in  the  smallest  degree  aware 
of  their  existence.  Oloff  Van  Staats  was  early  afoot ;  and 
when  he  appeared  on  the  lawn,  to  scent  the  morning  air, 
there  was  nothing  visible  to  give  rise  to  a  suspicion  that 
aught  extraordinary  had  occurred  during  his  slumbers. 
La  Cour  des  Fees  was  still  closed,  but  the  person  of  the 
faithful  Francois  was  seen,  near  the  abode  of  his  young 
mistress,  busied  in  some  of  those  pretty  little  offices  that 
can  easily  be  imagined  would  be  agreeable  to  a  maiden  of 
her  years  and  station.  Van  Staats  of  Kinderhook  had  as 
little  of  romance  in  his  composition  as  could  well  be  in  a 
youth  of  five-and-twenty  who  was  commonly  thought  to 
be  enamored,and  who  was  not  altogether  ignorant  of  the 
conventional  sympathies  of  the  passion.  The  man  was 
mortal,  and  as  the  personal  attractions  of  la  belle  Barberie 
wrere  sufficiently  obvious,  he  had  not  entirely  escaped  the 
fate  which  seems  nearly  inseparable  from  young  fancy, 
when  excited  by  beauty.  He  drew  nigh  to  the  pavilion, 
and,  by  a  guarded  but  decisive  manoeuvre,  he  managed  to 
come  so  close  to  the  valet  as  to  render  a  verbal  communi 
cation  not  only  natural,  but  nearly  unavoidable. 

"  A  fair  morning  and  a  healthful  air,  Monsieur  Francois," 
commenced  the  young  Patroon,  acknowledging  the  low 
salute  of  the  domestic,  by  gravely  lifting  his  own  beaver. 
"  This  is  a  comfortable  abode  for  the  warm  months,  and 
one  it  might  be  well  to  visit  oftener." 

"When  Monsieur  le  Patteron  shall  be  de  lor'  of  ce  manoir, 
fussi,  he  shall  come  when  he  shall  have  la  volonte,"  re 
turned  Francois,  who  knew  that  a  pleasantry  of  his  ought 
not  to  be  construed  into  an  engagement  on  the  part  of  her 
he  served,  while  it  could  not  fail  to  be  agreeable  to  him 
who  heard  it.  "  Monsieur  de  Van  Staats  est  grand  propri- 
etaire,  sur  la  riviere,  and  one  day,  peut-etre,  he  shall  be  pro- 
prietaire  sur  la  iner  !  " 


no  THE  WATER-WITCH. 

"  I  have  thought  of  imitating  the  example  of  the  Alder 
man,  honest  Francis,  and  of  building  a  villa  on  the  coast; 
but  there  will  be  time  for  that  when  I  shall  find  myself 
more  established  in  life  !  Your  young  mistress  is  not  yet 
moving,  Francis  ? " 

"Ma  foi,  non — Mam'selle  Alide  sleep  ! — 'tis  good  syinp- 
tome,  Monsieur  Patteron,  pourles  jeunes  personnes,  to  tres 
bien  sleep.  Monsieur,  et  toute  lafamille  de  Barberie  sleep 
a  merveille  !  Oui,  c'est  toujours  une  famille  remarquable 
pour  le  sommeil  ! " 

"  Yet  one  would  wish  to  breathe  this  fresh  and  invigorat 
ing  air,  which  comes  from  off  the  sea,  like  a  balm  in  the 
early  hours  of  the  day." 

"  Sans  doute,  Monsieur.  C'est  un  miracle,  how  Mam' 
selle  love  de  air  !  Personne  do  not  love  air  more,  as 
Mam'selle  Alide.  Bah  ! — it  was  grand  plaisir  to  see  how 
Monsieur  de  Barberie  love  de  air  !  " 

"  Perhaps,  Mr.  Francis,  your  young  lady  is  ignorant 
of  the  hour.  It  might  be  well  to  knock  at  the  door,  or  per 
haps  at  the  window.  I  confess  I  should  much  admire 
to  see  her  bright  face  smiling  from  the  window  on  this 
soft  morning  scene." 

It  is  not  probable  that  the  imagination  of  the  Patroonof 
Kinderhook  ever  before  took  so  high  a  flight  ;  and  there 
was  reason  to  suspect  by  the  wavering  and  alarmed  glance 
that  he  cast  around  him  after  so  unequivocal  an  expression 
of  weakness,  that  he  already  repented  his  temerity.  Fran 
cois,  who  would  not  willingly  disoblige  a  man  that  was 
known  to  possess  a  hundred  thousand  acres  of  land,  with 
manorial  rights,  besides  personals  of  no  mean  account,  felt 
embarrassed  by  the  request ;  but  was  enabled  to  recollect 
in  time  that  the  heiress  was  known  to  possess  a  decision 
of  character  that  might  choose  to  control  her  own  pleasures. 

"  Well,  I  shall  be  too  happy  to  knock  ;  mais,  Monsieur 
sa  is  dat  sleepest  si  agreable  pour  les  jeunes  personnes ! 
On  n'a  jamais  knock,  dans  la  famille  de  Monsieur  de 
Barberie,  and  je  suis  sur  que  Mam'selle  Alide  do  not  love 
to  hear  de  knock — pourtant,  si  Monsieur  le  Patteron  le 
veut,  I  shall  consult  ses — Viola  !  Monsieur  Bevre,  qui 
vient  sans  knock  a  la  fenetre.  J'ai  1'honneur  de  vous 
laisser  avec  Monsieur  Al'erman." 

And  so  the  complaisant  but  still  considerate  valet  bowed 
himself  out  of  a  dilemma,  that  he  found,  as  lie  muttered  to 
himself  while  retiring,  "tant  soit  peu  ennuyant." 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  m 

The  air  and  manner  of  the  Alderman,  as  he  approached 
his  guest,  were  like  the  character  of  the  man,  hale,  hearty, 
and  a  little  occupied  with  his  own  enjoyments  and  feel 
ings.  He  hemmed  thrice  ere  he  was  near  enough  to  speak  ; 
and  each  of  the  strong  expirations  seemed  to  invite  the 
admiration  of  the  Patroon,  for  the  strength  of  his  lungs, 
and  for  the  purity  of  the  atmosphere  around  a  villa  which 
acknowledged  him  for  its  owner. 

''Zephyrs  and  Spas!  but  this  is  the  abode  of  health, 
Patroon  !  "  cried  the  burgher,  as  soon  as  these  demonstra 
tions  of  his  own  bodily  conditions  had  been  sufficiently 
repeated.  "  One  sometimes  feels  in  this  air  equal  to 
holding  a  discourse  across  the  Atlantic  with  his  friends  at 
Schevelingor  the  Helder.  A  broad  and  deep  chest,  air 
like  this  from  the  sea,  with  a  clear  conscience  and  a  lucky 
hit  in  the  way  of  trade,  cause  the  lungs  of  a  man  to  play 
as  easily  and  imperceptibly  as  the  wings  of  a  humming 
bird.  Let  me  see  ;  there  are  few  fourscore  men  in  thy  stock. 
The  last  Patroon  closed  the  books  at  sixty-five  ;  and  his 
father  went  but  a  little  beyond  seventy.  I  wonder  there 
never  has  been  an  intermarriage  among  you  with  the  Van 
Courtlandts  ;  that  blood  is  as  good  as  insurance  to  four 
score  and  ten  of  itself." 

"I  find  the  air  of  your  villa,  Mr.  Van  Beverout,  a  cor 
dial  that  one  could  wish  to  take  often,"  returned  the  other, 
who  had  far -less  of  the  brusque  manner  of  the  trader 
than  his  companion.  "  It  is  a  pity  that  all  who  have  the 
choice  do  not  profit  by  their  opportunities  to  breathe 
it" 

"  You  allude  to  the  lazy  mariners  in  yon  vessel !  Her 
Majesty's  servants  are  seldom  in  a  hurry  ;  and  as  for  this 
brigantine  in  the  Cove,  the  fellow  seems  to  have  got  in  by 
magic  !  I  warrant  me,  now,  the  rogue  is  there  for  no 
good,  and  that  the  Queen's  exchequer  will  be  none  the 
richer  for  his  visit.  Harkee,  you  Brom,"  calling  to  an 
aged  black  who  was  working  at  no  great  distance  from  the 
dwelling,  and  who  was  deep  in  his  master's  confidence, 
"hast  seen  any  boats  plying  between  yonder  roguish-look 
ing  brigantine  and  the  land  ?" 

The  negro  shook  his  head  like  the  earthen  image  of  a 
mandarin,  and  laughed  loudly  and  heartily. 

"  I  b'rieve  he  do  all  he  mischief  among  a'  Yankee,  an' 
he  only  come  here  to  take  he  breat,"  said  the  wily  slave. 
''Well,  I  wish  wid  all  a  heart  dere  would  come  freetrader 


some  time  along  our  shore.  Dat  gib  a  chance  to  poor 
black  man  to  make  an  honest  penny  !  " 

"You  see,  Patroon,  human  nature  itself  rises  against 
monopoly  !  That  was  the  voice  of  instinct  speaking  with 
the  tongue  of  Brom  ;  and  it  is  no  easy  task  for  a  merchant 
to  keep  his  dependants  obedient  to  the  laws  which  in  them 
selves  create  so  constant  a  temptation  to  break  them. 
Well,  well  ;  we  will  always  hope  for  the  best,  and  en 
deavor  to  act  like  dutiful  subjects.  The  boat  is  not  amiss 
as  to  form  and  rig,  let  her  come  from  where  she  will.  Dost 
think  the  wind  will  be  off  the  land  this  morning  ?  " 

"  There  are  signs  of  a  change  in  the  clouds.  One  could 
wish  that  all  should  be  out  in  the  air  to  taste  this  pleasant 
sea  breeze  while  it  lasts." 

"  Come,  come,"  cried  the  Alderman,  who  had  for  a 
moment  studied  the  state  of  the  heavens  with  a  solicitude 
that  he  feared  might  attract  his  companion's  attention. 
"  We  will  taste  our  breakfast.  This  is  the  spot  to  show 
the  use  of  teeth  !  The  negroes  have  not  been  idle  during 
the  night,  Mr.  Van  Staats — he-e-em — I  say,  sir,  they  have 
not  been  idle  ;  and  we  shall  have  a  choice  among  the 
dainties  of  the  river  and  bay.  That  cloud  about  the  mouth 
of  the  Raritan  appears  to  rise,  and  we  may  yet  have  a 
breeze  at  west  !  " 

"  Yonder  comes  a  boat  in  the  direction  of  the  city,"  ob 
served  the  other,  reluctantly  obeying  a  motion  of  the  Al 
derman  to  retire  to  the  apartment  where  they  were  accus 
tomed  to  break  their  fasts.  "  To  me  it  seems  to  approach 
with  more  than  ordinary  speed." 

"  There  are  stout  arms  at  its  oars  !  Can  it  be  a  messen 
ger  for  the  cruiser  ?  no — it  rather  steers  more  for  our  own 
landing.  These  Jerseymen  are  often  overtaken  by  the 
night,  between  New  York  and  their  own  doors.  And  now, 
Patroon,  we  will  to  our  knives  and  forks,  like  men  who 
have  taken  the  best  stomachics." 

"  And  are  we  to  refresh  ourselves  alone  ?"  demanded  the 
young  man,  who  ever  and  anon  cast  sidelong  and  wistful 
glances  at  the  closed  and  immovable  shutters  of  la  Cour 
des  Fees. 

u  Thy  mother  hath  spoiled  thee,  young  Oloff  ;  unless  the 
coffee  comes  from  a  pretty  female  hand,  it  loses  its  savor. 
I  take  thy  meaning,  and  think  none  the  worse  of  thee  ;  for 
the  weakness  is  natural  at  thy  years.  Celibacy  and  inde 
pendence  !  A  man  must  get  beyond  forty,  before  he  is 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  113 

ever  sure  of  being  his  own  master.  Come  hither,  Master 
Francis.  It  is  time  my  niece  had  shaken  off  this  lazi 
ness,  and  shown  her  bright  face  to  the  sun.  We  wait 
for  her  fair  services  at  the  table.  I  see  nothing  of  that 
lazy  hussy,  Dinah,  any  more  than  of  her  mistress." 

*•  Assurement  non,  Monsieur,"  returned  the  valet. 
"  Mam'selle  Dinah  do  not  love  trop  d'activite.  Mais, 
Monsieur  Al'erman,  elles  sont  jeunes  toutes  les  deux ! 
Le  sommeil  est  bien  salutaire  pour  la  jeunesse." 

"  The  girl  is  no  longer  in  her  cradle,  Francis,  and  it 
is  time  to  rattle  at  the  windows.  As  for  the  black  minx, 
who  should  have  been  up  and  at  her  duty  this  hour, 
there  will  be  a  balance  to  settle  between  us.  Come,  Pa- 
troon  ;  the  appetite  will  not  await  the  laziness  of  a  wilful 
girl  ;  we  will  to  the  table.  Dost  think  the  wind  will  stand 
at  west  this  morning  ? " 

Thus  saying,  the  Alderman  led  the  way  into  the  little 
parlor,  where  a  neat  and  comfortable  sendee  invited  them 
to  break  their  morning  fast.  He  was  followed  by  Oloff 
Van  Staats  with  a  lingering  step,  for  the  young  man 
really  longed  to  see  the  windows  of  the  pavilion  open,  and 
the  fair  face  of  Alida  smiling  amid  the  other  beautiful 
objects  of  the  scene.  Francois  proceeded  to  take  such 
measures  to  arouse  his  mistress  as  he  believed  to  com 
port  with  his  duty  to  her  uncle  and  his  own  ideas  of 
bienseance.  After  some  little  delay,  the  Alderman  and 
his  guest  took  their  seats  at  the  table  ;  the  former  loudly 
protesting  against  the  necessity  of  waiting  for  the  idle, 
and  throwing  in  an  occasional  moral  concerning  the  par 
ticular  merit  of  punctuality  in  domestic  economy,  as  well 
as  in  the  affairs  of  commerce. 

"The  ancients  divided  time,"  said  the  somewhat  perti 
nacious  commentator,  "  into  years,  months,  weeks,  days, 
hours,  minutes,  and  moments,  as  they  divided  numbers 
into  units,  tens,  hundreds,  thousands,  and  tens  of  thou 
sands  ;  and  both  with  an  object.  If  we  commence  at  the 
bottom,  and  employ  well  the  moments,  Mr.  Van  Staats, 
we  turn  the  minutes  into  tens,  the  hours  into  hundreds, 
and  the  weeks  and  months  into  thousands — aye  !  and 
when  there  is  a  happy  state  of  trade,  into  tens  of  thousands  ! 
Missing  an  hour,  therefore,  is  somewhat  like  dropping  an 
important  figure  in  a  complex  calculation,  and  the  whole 
labor  may  be  useless,  for  want  of  punctuality  in  one,  as 
for  want  of  accuracy  in  the  other.  Your  father,  the  late 
8 


H4  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

Patroon,  was  what  may  be  called  a  minute-man.  He  was 
as  certain  to  be  seen  in  his  pew,  at  church,  at  the  stroke 
of  the  clock,  as  to  pay  a  bill  when  its  items  had  been  prop 
erly  examined.  Ah  !  it  was  a  blessing  to  hold  one  of  his 
notes,  though  they  were  far  scarcer  than  broad  pieces  or 
bullion.  I  have  heard  it  said,  Patroon,  that  the  manor  is 
backed  by  plenty  of  Johannes  and  Dutch  ducats  !  " 

"  The  descendant  has  no  reason  to  reproach  his  ances 
tors  with  want  of  foresight." 

"  Prudently  answered;  not  a  word  too  much  nor  too 
little — a  principle  on  which  all  honest  men  settle  their  ac 
counts.  By  proper  management,  such  a  foundation  might 
be  made  to  uphold  an  estate  that  should  count  thousands 
with  the  best  of  Holland  or  England.  Growth  and  ma 
jority  !  Patroon  ;  but  we  of  the  colonies  must  come  to 
man's  estate  in  time,  like  our  cousins  on  the  dykes  of  the 
Low  Countries,  or  our  rulers  among  the  smithies  of  Eng 
land.  Erasmus,  look  at  that  cloud  over  the  Raritan,  and 
tell  me  if  it  rises." 

The  negro  reported  that  the  vapor  was  stationary  ;  and, 
at  the  same  time,  by  way  of  episode,  he  told  his  master 
that  the  boat  which  had  been  seen  approaching  the  land 
had  reached  the  wharf,  and  that  some  of  its  crew  were  as 
cending  the  hill  toward  the  Lust  in  Rust. 

"  Let  them  come,  of  all  hospitality,"  returned  the  Alder 
man,  heartily  ;  "  I  warrant  me,  •  they  are  honest  farmers 
from  the  interior,  a-hungered  with  the  toil  of  the  night. 
Go  tell  the  cook  to  feed  them  with  the  best,  and  bid  them 
welcome.  And  harkee,  boy  ;  if  there  be  among  them  any 
comfortable  yeoman,  bid  the  man  enter  and  sit  at  our  ta 
ble.  This  is  not  a  country,  Patroon,  to  be  nice  about  the 
quality  of  the  cloth  the  man  has  on  his  back,  or  whether 
he  wears  a  wig  or  only  his  own  hair.  What  is  the  fellow 
gaping  at  ? " 

Erasmus  rubbed  his  eyes,  and  then  showing  his  teeth 
to  the  full  extent  of  a  double  row,  that  glittered  like  pearls, 
he  gave  his  master  to  understand  that  the  negro,  intro 
duced  to  the  reader  under  the  name  of  Euclid,  and  who 
was  certainly  his  own  brother  of  the  half-blood,  or  by  the 
mother's  side,  was  entering  the  villa.  The  intelligence 
caused  a  sudden  cessation  of  the  masticating  process  in 
the  Alderman,  who  had  not,  however,  time  to  express  his 
wonder  ere  two  doors  simultaneously  opened,  and  Francois 
presented  himself  at  the  one,  while  the  shining  and  doubt- 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  115 

ing  face  of  the  slave  from  town  darkened  the  other.  The 
eyes  of  Myndert  rolled  first  to  this  side,  then  to  that,  a 
certain  misgiving  of  the  heart  preventing  him  from  speak 
ing  to  either  ;  for  he  saw,  in  the  disturbed  features  of  each, 
omens  that  bade  him  prepare  himself  for  unwelcome 
tidings.  The  reader  will  perceive,  by  the  description  we 
shall  give,  that  there  was  abundant  reason  for  the  saga 
cious  burgher's  alarm. 

The  visage  of  the  valet,  at  all  times  meagre  and  long, 
seemed  extended  to  far  more  than  its  usual  dimensions, 
the  under  jaw  appearing  fallen  and  trebly  attenuated. 
The  light-blue  protruding  eyes  were  open  to  the  utmost, 
and  they  expressed  a  certain  confused  wildness,  that  was 
none  the  less  striking  for  the  painful  expression  of  mental 
suffering  with  which  it  was  mingled.  Both  hands  were 
raised,  with  the  palms  outward  ;  while  the  shoulders  of 
the  poor  fellow  were  elevated  so  high  as  entirely  to  de 
stroy  the  little  symmetry  that  nature  had  bestowed  on 
that  particular  part  of  his  frame. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  look  of  the  negro  was  guilty, 
dogged  and  cunning.  His  eye  leered  askance,  seeming  to 
wish  to  play  around  the  person  of  his  master,  as  it  will  be 
seen  his  language  endeavored  to  play  around  his  under 
standing.  The  hands  crushed  the  crown  of  a  woollen  hat 
between  their  fingers,  and  one  of  his  feet  described  semi 
circles  with  its  toe,  by  performing  nervous  evolutions  on 
its  heel. 

"  Well  ! "  ejaculated  Myndert,  regarding  each  in  turn. 
"What  news  from  the  Canadas  ?  Is  the  Queen  dead,  or  has 
she  restored  the  Colony  to  the  United  Provinces  ? " 

'"Mam'selle    Alide ! "    exclaimed,    or    rather    groaned, 
Francois. 

"The  poor  dumb  beast !  "  muttered  Euclid. 

The  knives  and  the  forks  fell  from  the  hands  of  Myndert 
and  his  guest,  as  it  were  by  a  simultaneous  paralysis.  The 
latter  involuntarily  arose  ;  while  the  former  planted  his 
solid  person  still  more  firmly  in  his  seat,  like  one  who  was 
preparing  to  meet  some  severe  and  expected  shock  with  all 
the  physical  resolution  he  could  muster. 

"  What  of  my  niece  ?  What  of  my  geldings  ?  You  have 
called  upon  Dinah  ?" 

"  Sans  doute,  Monsieur  !  " 

"  And  you  kept  the  keys  of  the  stable  ? " 

"  I  nebber  let  him  go  at  all  ? " 


n6  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

"  And  you  bade  her  call  her  mistress  ? " 

"  She  made  no  answair,  du  tout." 

"  The  animals  were  fed  and  watered,  as  I  ordered  ?" 

"  'Em  nebber  take  he  food  better  !  " 

''You  entered  the  chamber  of  my  niece,  yourself,  to 
awake  her  ? " 

"  Monsieur  a  raison." 

"What  the  devil  has  befallen  the  innocent?" 

"  He  lose  he  stomach  quite,  and  I  t'ink  it  great  time  'fore 
it  ebber  come  back." 

"  Mister  Francis,  I  desire  to  know  the  answer  of  Monsieur 
Barberie's  daughter." 

"  Mam'selle  no  repond,  Monsieur  ;  pas  un  syllabe  ! " 

"  Drenchers  and  fleames  !  The  beauty  should  have  been 
drenched  and  blooded " 

"  He'm  too  late  for  dat,  Masser,  on  honor." 

"  The  obstinate  hussy !  This  comes  of  her  Huguenot 
breed,  a  race  that  would  quit  house  and  lands  rather  than 
change  its  place  of  worship  !  " 

"  La  famille  de  Barberie  est  honorable,  Monsieur,  mais 
le  Grand  Monarque  fut  un  peu  trop  exigeant.  Vraiment, 
la  dragonade  etait  mal  avisee,  pour  faire  des  Chretiens ! " 

"  Apoplexies  and  hurry  !  you  should  have  sent  for  the 
farrier  to  administer  to  the  sufferer,  thou  black  hound !  " 

"  'Em  go  for  a  butcher,  Masser,  to  save  he  skin,  for  he 
war'  too  soon  dead." 

The  word  dead  produced  a  sudden  pause.  The  preced 
ing  dialogue  had  been  so  rapid,  and  question  and  answer, 
no  less  than  the  ideas  of  the  principal  speaker,  had  got  so 
confused,  that,  for  a  moment,  he  was  actually  at  a  loss  to 
understand  whether  the  last  great  debt  of  nature  had  been 
paid  by  la  belle  Barberie  or  one  of  the  Flemish  geldings. 
Until  now,  consternation,  as  well  as  the  confusion  of  the 
interview,  had  constrained  the  Patroon  to  be  silent,  but  he 
profited  by  the  breathing  time  to  interpose. 

"  It  is  evident,  Mr.  Van  Beverout,"  he  said,  speaking  with 
a  tremor  in  his  voice  which  betrayed  his  own  uneasiness, 
"  that  some  untoward  event  has  occurred.  Perhaps  the 
negro  and  I  had  better  retire,  that  you  may  question  Francis 
concerning  that  which  hath  befallen  Mademoiselle  Bar 
berie,  more  at  your  leisure." 

The  Alderman  was  recalled  from  a  profound  stupor  by 
this  gentleman-like  and  considerate  proposal.  He  bowed 
his  acknowledgments,  and  permitted  Mr.  Van  Staats  to 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  117 

quit  the  room  ;  when  Euclid  would  have  followed,  he  signed 
to  the  negro  to  remain. 

"  I  may  have  occasion  to  question  thee  farther,"  he  said, 
in  a  voice  that  had  lost  none  of  the  compass  and  depth  for 
which  it  was  so  remarkable.  "  Stand  there,  sirrah,  and  be 
in  readiness  to  answer.  And  now,  Mr.  Francis,  I  desire  to 
know  why  my  niece  declines  taking  breakfast  with  myself 
and  my  guest  !  " 

"  Mon  Dieu,  Monsieur,  it  is  not  possible  y  repondre. 
Les  sentiments  des  demoiselles  are  nevair  decides  !  " 

"  Go,  then,  and  say  to  her,  that  my  sentiments  are 
decided  to  curtail  certain  bequests  and  devises,  which 
have  consulted  her  interests  more  than  strict  justice  to 
others  of  my  blood,  aye,  and  even  of  my  name,  might 
dictate." 

"  Monsieur  y  reflechira.  Mam'selle  Alide  be  so  young 
personne  ! " 

"  Old  or  young,  my  mind  is  made  up  ;  and  so  to  your 
Cour  des  Fees,  and  tell  the  lazy  minx  as  much.  Thou 
hast  ridden  that  innocent,  thou  scowling  imp  of  darkness  !  " 

"Mais,  pensez-y,  je  vous  en  prie,  Monsieur.  Mam'selle 
shall  nevair  se  sauver  encore  ;  jamais,  je  vous  en  repond." 

"What  is  the  fellow  jabbering  about  ?"  exclaimed  the 
Alderman,  whose  mouth  fell  nearly  to  a  degree  that  ren 
dered  the  countenance  of  the  valet  so  singularly  expressive 
of  distress.  "  Where  is  my  niece,  sir  ?  and  what  means 
this  allusion  to  her  absence? " 

"  La  fille  de  Monsieur  de  Barbaric  n'y  est  pas ! " 
cried  Francois,  whose  heart  was  too  full  to  utter  more. 
The  aged  and  affectionate  domestic  laid  his  hand  on  his 
breast,  with  an  air  of  acute  suffering ;  then,  remembering 
the  presence  of  his  superior,  he  turned,  bowed  with  a 
manner  of  profound  condolence,  struggled  manfully  with 
his  own  emotion,  and  succeeded  in  getting  out  of  the 
room  with  dignity  and  steadiness. 

It  is  due  to  the  character  of  Alderman  Van  Beverout  to 
say  that  the  blow  occasioned  by  the  sudden  death  of  the 
Flemish  gelding  lost  some  of  its  force  in  consequence  of 
so  unlooked-for  a  report  concerning  the  inexplicable  ab 
sence  of  his  niece.  Euclid  was  questioned,  menaced,  and 
even  anathematized,  more  than  once,  during  the  next  ten 
minutes  ;  but  the  cunning  slave  succeeded  in  confounding 
himself  so  effectually  with  the  rest  of  his  connections  of 
the  half-blood,  during  the  search  which  instantly  followed 


n8  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

the  report  of  Francois,  that  his  crime  was  partially  for 
gotten. 

On  entering  la  Cour  des  Fees,  it  was,  in  truth,  found  to 
want  her  whose  beauty  and  grace  had  lent  its  chief  attrac 
tion.  The  outer  rooms,  which  were  small,  and  ordinarily 
occupied  during  the  day  by  Francois  and  the  negress 
called  Dinah,  and  in  the  night  by  the  latter  only,  were  in 
the  state  in  which  they  might  be  expected  to  be  seen.  The 
apartment  of  the  attendant  furnished  evidence  that  its  oc 
cupant  had  quitted  it  in  haste,  though  there  was  every  ap 
pearance  of  her  having  retired  to  rest  at  the  usual  hour. 
Clothes  were  scattered  carelessly  about  ;  and  though 
most  of  her  personal  effects  had  disappeared,  enough  re 
mained  to  prove  that  her  departure  had  been  hurried  and 
unforeseen. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  little  saloon,  and  the  dressing- 
room  and  bedroom  of  la  belle  Barbaric,  were  in  a  state  of 
the  most  studied  arrangement.  Not  an  article  of  furni 
ture  was  displaced,  a  door  ajar,  or  a  window  open.  The 
pavilion  had  evidently  been  quitted  by  its  ordinary  pas 
sage,  and  the  door  had  been  closed  in  the  customary  man 
ner,  without  using  the  fastenings.  The  bed  had  evidently 
not  been  entered,  for-  the  linen  was  smooth  and  untouched. 
In  short,  so  complete  was  the  order  of  the  place,  that, 
yielding  to  a  powerful  natural  feeling,  the  Alderman 
called  aloud  on  his  truant  niece,  byname,  as  if  he  expected 
to  see  her  appear  from  some  place  in  which  she  had  se 
creted  her  person,  in  idle  sport.  But  this  touching  expe 
dient  was  vain.  The  voice  sounded  hollow  through  the  de 
serted  rooms  ;  and  though  all  waited  long  to  listen,  there 
came  no  playful  or  laughing  answer  back. 

"  Alida ! "  cried  the  burgher,  for  the  fourth  and  last  time, 
"come  forth,  child  ;  I  forgive  thee  thy  idle  sport,  and  all 
I  have  said  of  disinheritance  was  but  a  jest.  Come  forth, 
my  sister's  daughter,  and  kiss  thy  old  uncle  !  " 

The  Patroon  turned  aside,  as  he  heard  a  man  so  known 
for  his  worldliness  yielding  to  the  power  of  nature  ;  and 
the  lord  of  a  hundred  thousand  acres  forgot  his  own  dis 
appointment  in  the  force  of  sympathy. 

"  Let  us  retire,"  he  said,  gently  urging  the  burgher  to 
quit  the  place.  "  A  little  reflection  will  enable  us  to  de 
cide  what  should  be  done." 

The  Alderman  complied.  Before  quitting  the  place, 
however,  its  closets  and  drawers  were  examined ;  and  the 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  119 

search  left  no  further  doubts  of  the  step  which  the  young 
heiress  had  taken.  Her  clothes,  books,  utensils  for  draw 
ing,  and  even  the  lighter  instruments  of  music,  had  dis 
appeared. 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

Aye,  that  way  goes  the  game, 
Now  I  perceive  that  she  hath  made  compare 
Between  our  statures. — Midsummer  Nighfs  Dream. 

THE  tide  of  existence  flows  downward,  and  with  it  go, 
in  their  greatest  strength,  all  those  affections  that  unite 
families  and  kindred.  We  learn  to  know  our  parents  in 
the  fulness  of  their  reason,  and  commonly  in  the  perfec 
tion  of  their  bodily  strength.  Reverence  and  respect  both 
mingle  with  our  love  ;  but  the  affection  with  which  we 
watch  the  helplessness  of  infancy,  the  interest  with  which 
we  see  the  ingenuous  and  young  profiting  by  our  care,  the 
pride  of  improvement,  and  the  magic  of  hope,  create  an 
intensity  of  sympathy  in  their  favor  that  almost  equals  the 
identity  of  self-love.  There  is  a  mysterious  and  double  ex 
istence  in  the  tie  that  binds  the  parent  to  the  child.  With 
a  volition  and  passions  of  its  own,  the  latter  has  power  to 
plant  a  sting  in  the  bosom  of  the  former  that  shall  wound 
as  accurately  as  the  errors  which  arise  from  mistakes,  al 
most  from  crimes,  of  its  own.  But  when  the  misconduct 
of  the  descendant  can  be  traced  to  neglect,  or  to  a  vicious 
instruction,  then,  indeed,  even  the  pang  of  a  wounded  con 
science  may  be  added  to  the  sufferings  of  those  who  have 
gone  before.  Such,  in  some  measure,  was  the  nature  of 
the  pain  that  Alderman  Van  Beverout  was  condemned  to 
feel,  when  at  leisure  to  reflect  on  the  ill-judged  measure 
that  had  been  taken  by  la  belle  Barberie. 

"  She  was  a  pleasant  and  coaxing  minx,  Patroon,"  said 
the  burgher,  pacing  the  room  they  occupied,  with  a  quick 
and  heavy  step,  and  speaking  unconsciously  of  his  niece 
as  of  one  already  beyond  the  interests  of  life  ;  "  and  as 
wilful  and  headstrong  as  an  unbroken  colt.  Thou  hard- 
riding  imp  !  I  shall  never  find  a  match  for  the  poor,  dis 
consolate  survivor.  But  the  girl  had  a  thousand  agreeable 
and  delightful  ways  with  her,  that  made  her  the  delight  of 
my  old  days.  She  has  not  done  wisely  to  desert  the  friend 
and  guardian  of  her  youth,  aye,  even  of  her  childhood ;  in 


120  THE  WATER- WITCH. 

order  to  seek  protection  from  strangers.  This  is  an  un 
happy  world,  Mr.  Van  Staats.  All  our  calculations  come 
to  naught ;  and  it  is  in  the  power  of  fortune  to  reverse 
the  most  reasonable  and  wisest  of  our  expectations.  A 
gale  of  wind  drives  the  richly  freighted  ship  to  the  bottom; 
a  sudden  fall  in  the  market  robs  us  of  our  gold,  as  the  No 
vember  wind  strips  the  oak  of  its  leaves  ;  and  bankruptcies 
and  decayed  credit  often  afflict  the  days  of  the  oldest 
houses,  as  disease  saps  the  strength  of  the  body  ;  Alida  ! 
Alida  !  thou  hast  wounded  one  that  has  never  harmed  thee, 
and  rendered  my  age  miserable  !  " 

"  It  is  vain  to  contend  with  the  inclinations,"  returned 
the  proprietor  of  the  manor,  sighing  in  a  manner  that  did 
no  discredit  to  the  sincerity  of  his  remark.  "  I  could  have 
been  happy  to  have  placed  your  niece  in  the  situation  that 
my  respected  mother  filled  with  so  much  dignity  and 
credit,  but  it  is  now  too  late — 

"We  don't  know  that — we  don't  know  that,"  interrupted 
the  Alderman,  who  still  clung  to  the  hope  of  effecting  the 
first  great  wish  of  his  heart,  with  the  pertinacity  with  which 
he  would  have  clung  to  the  terms  of  any  other  fortunate 
bargain.  "  We  should  never  despair,  Mr.  Van  Staats,  as 
long  as  the  transaction  is  left  open." 

"  The  manner  in  which  Mademoiselle  Barberie  has  ex 
pressed  her  preference  is  so  very  decided  that  I  see  no  hope 
of  completing  the  arrangement." 

"  Mere  coquetry,  sir,  mere  coquetry !  The  girl  has  dis 
appeared  in  order  to  enhance  the  value  of  her  future  sub 
mission.  One  should  never  regard  a  treaty  at  an  end,  so 
long  as  reasonable  hopes  remain  that  it  may  be  productive 
to  the  parties." 

"  I  fear,  sir,  there  is  more  of  the  coquette  in  this  step  of 
the  young  lady  than  a  gentleman  can  overlook,"  returned 
the  Patroon  a  little  dryly,  and  with  far  more  point  than  he 
was  accustomed  to  use.  "  If  the  commander  of  her  Maj 
esty's  cruiser  be  not  a  happy  man,  he  will  not  have  occa 
sion  to  reproach  his  mistress  with  disdain  ! " 

"  I  am  not  certain,  Mr.  Van  Staats,  that  in  the  actual 
situation  of  our  stipulations,  I  ought  to  overlook  an  innu 
endo  that  seems  to  reflect  on  the  discretion  of  my  ward. 
Captain  Ludlow — well,  sirrah  !  what  is  the  meaning  of  this 
impertinence  ?" 

"  He'm  waiting  to  see  masser,"  returned  the  gaping 
Erasmus,  who  stood  with  the  door  in  his  hand,  admiring 


THE  WATER-WITCH.  12 1 

the  secret  intelligence  of  his  master,  who  had  so  readily 
anticipated  his  errand. 

"Who  is  waiting  ?     What  does  that  simpleton  mean  ?" 

"  I  mean  a  gentle'um  masser  say." 

"  The  fortunate  man  is  here  to  remind  us  of  his  success," 
haughtily  observed  Van  Staats,  of  Kinderhook.  "  There 
can  be  no  necessity  for  my  presence  at  an  interview  be 
tween  Alderman  Van  Beverout  and  his  nephew." 

The  justly  mortified  Patroon  bowed  ceremoniously  to 
the  equally  disappointed  burgher,  and  left  the  room  the 
moment  he  had  done  speaking.  The  negro  took*  his  re 
treat  as  a  favorable  symptom  for  one  who  was  generally 
known  to  be  his  rival  ;  and  he  hastened  to  inform  the 
young  Captain  that  the  coast  was  clear. 

The  meeting  that  succeeded  was  sufficiently  constrained 
and  awkward.  Alderman  Van  Beverout  assumed  a  man 
ner  of  offended  authority  and  wounded  affection  ;  while 
the  officer  of  the  Queen  wore  an  air  of  compelled  submis 
sion  to  a  duty  that  he  found  to  be  disagreeable.  The  in 
troduction  of  the  discourse  was  consequently  ceremonious, 
and  punctiliously  observant  of  courtesy. 

"  It  has  become  my  office,"  continued  Ludlow,  after  the 
preliminaries  had  been  observed,  "to  express  the  surprise 
I  feel,  that  a  vessel  of  the  exceedingly  equivocal  appear 
ance  of  the  brigantine,  that  is  anchored  in  the  Cove,  should 
be  found  in  a  situation  to  create  unpleasant  suspicions 
concerning  the  commercial  propriety  of  a  merchant  so 
well  known  as  Mr.  Alderman  Van  Beverout." 

"  The  credit  of  Myndert  Van  Beverout  is  too  well  estab 
lished,  Captain  Cornelius  Ludlow,  to  be  affected  by  the 
accidental  position  of  ships  and  bays.  I  see  two  vessels 
anchored  near  the  Lust  in  Rust,  and  if  called  upon  to  give 
my  testimony  before  the  Queen  in  council,  I  should  declare 
that  the  one  which  wears  her  royal  pennant  had  done  more 
wrong  to  her  subjects  than  the  stranger.  But  what  harm 
is  known  of  the  latter  ?" 

"  I  shall  not  conceal  any  of  the  facts  ;  for  I  feel  that  this 
is  a  case  in  which  a  gentleman  of  your  station  has  the  full 
est  right  to  the  benefit  of  explanations — 

"Hem  !  "  interrupted  the  burgher,  who  disliked  the  man 
ner  in  which  his  companion  had  opened  the  interview,  and 
who  thought  he  saw  the  commencement  of  a  forced  com 
promise  in  the  turn  it  was  taking.  "  Hem  !  I  commend 
your  moderation,  Captain  Ludlow.  Sir,  we  are  flattered 


122  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

in  having  a  native  of  the  Province  in  so  honorable  a  com 
mand  on  the  coast.  Be  seated,  I  pray  you,  young  gentle 
man,  that  we  may  converse  more  at  leisure.  The  Ludlows 
are  an  ancient  and  well-established  family  in  the  colonies ; 
and  though  they  were  no  friends  of  King  Charles,  why — 
we  have  others  here  in  the  same  predicament.  There  are 
few  crowns  in  Europe  that  might  not  trace  some  of  their 
discontented  subjects  to  these  colonies  ;  and  the  greater 
the  reason,  say  I,  why  we  should  not  be  too  hasty  in  giving 
faith  to  the  wisdom  of  this  European  legislation.  I  do  not 
pretend,  sir,  to  admire  all  the  commercial  regulations  which 
flow  from  the  wisdom  of  her  Majesty's  counsellors.  Candor 
forbids  that  I  should  deny  this  truth  :  but — what  of  the 
brigantine  in  the  Cove  ?" 

"  It  is  not  necessary  to  tell  one  so  familiar  with  the  af 
fairs  of  commerce,  of  the  character  of  a  vessel  called  the 
Water-Witch,  nor  that  of  its  lawless  commander,  the  notori 
ous  Skimmer  of  the  Seas." 

"  Captain  Ludlow  is  not  going  to  accuse  Alderman  Van 
Beverout  of  a  connection  with  such  a  man !"  exclaimed 
the  burgher,  rising  as  it  were  involuntarily,  and  actually 
recoiling  a  foot  or  two,  apparently  under  the  force  of  in 
dignation  and  surprise. 

"  Sir,  I  am  not  commissioned  to  accuse  any  of  the  Queen's 
subjects.  My  duty  is  to  guard  her  interests  on  the  water, 
to  oppose  her  open  enemies,  and  to  uphold  her  royal  pre 
rogatives." 

"  An  honorable  employment,  and  one  I  doubt  not  that  is 
honorably  discharged.  Resume  your  seat,  sir ;  for  I  foresee 
that  the  conference  is  likely  to  end  as  it  should,  between  a 
son  of  the  late  very  respectable  king's  counsellor  and  his 
father's  friend.  You  have  reason  then  for  thinking  that 
this  brigantine,  which  has  so  suddenly  appeared  in  the 
Cove,  has  some  remote  connection  with  the  Skimmer  of 
the  Seas?" 

"  I  believe  the  vessel  to  be  the  famous  Water- Witch  it 
self,  and  her  commander  to  be,  of  course,  the  well-known 
adventurer." 

"Well,  sir — well,  sir — this  may  be  so.  It  is  impossible 
for  me  to  deny  it  ;  but  what  should  such  a  reprobate  be 
doing  here,  under  the  guns  of  a  queen's  cruiser  ?" 

"Mr.  Alderman,  my  admiration  of  your  niece  is  not  un 
known  to  you." 

"  I    have   suspected  it,  sir,"  returned  the  burgher,  who 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  123 

believed  the  tenor  of  the  compromise  was  getting  clearer, 
but  who  still  waited  to  know  the  exact  value  of  the  conces 
sions  the  other  party  would  make,  before  he  closed  a  bar 
gain  in  a  hurry,  of  which  he  might  repent  at  his  leisure. 
"  Indeed,  it  has  even  been  the  subject  of  some  discourse 
between  us." 

"This  admiration  induced  me  to  visit  your  villa  the  past 
night " 

"  This  is  a  fact  too  well  established,  young  gentleman." 

"  Whence  I  took  away — "  Ludlow  hesitated,  as  if  anxious 
to  select  his  words — 

"Alida  Barberie." 

"Alida  Barberie!" 

"  Aye,  sir  ;  my  niece,  or  perhaps  I  should  say  my  heiress, 
as  well  as  the  heiress  of  old  Etienne  de  Barberie.  The 
cruise  was  short,  Captain  Cornelius  Ludlow  ;  but  the  prize- 
money  will  be  ample — unless,  indeed,  a  claim  to  neutral 
privileges  should  be  established  in  favor  of  part  of  the 
cargo." 

"  Sir,  your  pleasantry  is  amusing,  but  I  have  little  leisure 
for  its  enjoyment.  That  I  visited  the  Cour  des  Fees  shall 
not  be  denied.  I  think  la  belle  Barberie  will  not  be 
offended,  under  the  circumstances,  with  this  acknowledg 
ment." 

"  If  she  is,  the  jade  has  a  rare  squeamishness,  after  what 
has  passed !  " 

"  I  pretend  not  to  judge  of  more  than  my  duty.  The 
desire  to  serve  my  royal  mistress  had  induced  me,  Mr.  Van 
Beverout,  to  cause  a  seaman  of  odd  attire  and  audacious 
deportment  to  enter  the  Coquette.  You  will  know  the 
man  when  I  tell  you  that  he  was  your  companion  on  the 
island  ferry-boat." 

"  Yes,  yes,  I  confess  there  was  a  mariner  of  the  long 
voyage  there,  who  caused  much  surprise,  and  some  un 
easiness  to  myself  and  niece,  as  well  as  to  Van  Staats  of 
Kinderhook." 

Ludlow  smiled  like  one  not  to  be  deceived,  as  he  con 
tinued. 

"Well,  sir,  this  man  so  far  succeeded  as  to  tempt  me  to 
suffer  him  to  land  under  the  obligation  of  some  half- 
extorted  promise  ;  we  came  into  the  river  together,  and  en 
tered  your  grounds  in  company." 

Alderman  Van  Beverout  now  began  to  listen  like  a  man 
who  dreaded,  while  he  desired  to  catch  each  syllable.  Ob- 


124  THE  WATER-WITCH. 

serving  that  Ludlow  paused,  and  watched  his  countenance 
with  a  cool  and  steady  eye,  he  recovered  his  self-command, 
and  affected  a  mere  ordinary  curiosity,  while  he  signed  to 
him  to  proceed. 

"  I  am  not  sure  I  tell  Alderman  Van  Beverout  an)^thing 
that  is  new,"  resumed  the  young  officer,  "  when  I  add  that 
the  fellow  suffered  me  to  visit  the  pavilion,  and  then 
contrived  to  lead  me  into  an  ambush  of  lawless  men,  hav 
ing  previously  succeeded  in  making  captives  of  my  boat's 
crew." 

"  Seizures  and  warrants  !  "  exclaimed  the  burgher,  in  his 
natural  strong  and  hasty  manner  of  speaking.  "  This  is 
the  first  I  have  heard  of  the  affair.  It  was  ill-judged,  to 
call  it  by  no  other  term." 

Ludlow  seemed  relieved  when  he  saw  by  the  undis 
guised  amazement  of  his  companion  that  the  latter  was,  in 
truth,  ignorant  of  the  manner  in  which  he  had  been  de 
tained. 

"It  might  not  have  been,  sir,  had  our  watch  been  as 
vigilant  as  their  artifice  was  deep,"  he  continued.  "But 
as  I  was  little  guarded,  and  having  no  means  to  reach  my 
ship,  I— 

"Aye,  aye,  Captain  Ludlow  ;  it  is  not  necessary  to  be  so 
circumstantial  ;  you  proceeded  to  the  wharf,  and — 

"  Perhaps,  sir,  I  obeyed  my  -feelings  rather  than  my 
duty,"  observed  Ludlow,  coloring  high,  when  he  perceived 
that  the  burgher  paused  to  clear  his  throat.  "  I  returned 
to  the  pavilion,  where ' 

"  You  persuaded  a  niece  to  forget  her  duty  to  her  uncle 
and  protector." 

"  This  is  a  harsh  and  most  unjustifiable  charge,  both  as 
respects  the  young  lady  and  myself.  I  can  distinguish 
between  a  very  natural  desire  to  possess  articles  of  com 
merce  that  are  denied  by  the  laws,  and  a  more  deliberate 
and  mercenary  plot  against  the  revenue  of  the  country.  I 
believe  there  are  few  of  her  years  and  sex  who  would  re 
fuse  to  purchase  the  articles  I  saw  presented  to  the  eyes  of 
la  belle  Barberie,  especially  when  the  utmost  hazard 
could  be  no  more  than  their  loss,  as  they  were  already  in 
troduced  into  the  country." 

"A  just  discrimination  and  one  likely  to  render  the 
arrangement  of  our  little  affairs  less  difficult !  I  was  sure 
that  my  old  friend,  the  Counselor,  would  not  have  left  a 
son  of  his  ignorant  of  principles,  more  especially  as  he 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  125 

was  about  to  embark  in  a  profession  of  so  much  responsi 
bility.  And  so  my  niece  had  the  imprudence  to  entertain 
a  dealer  in  contraband  ? " 

"  Alderman  Van  Beverout,  there  were  boats  in  motion 
on  the  water  between  this  landing  and  the  brigantine  in 
the  Cove.  A  periagua  even  left  the  river  for  the  city,  at 
the  extraordinary  hour  of  midnight !  " 

"  Sir,  boats  will  move  on  the  water,  when  the  hands  of 
men  set  them  in  motion  ;  but  what  have  I  to  answer  for 
in  the  matter  ?  If  goods  have  entered  the  Province  with 
out  license,  why,  they  must  be  found  and  condemned  ; 
and  if  free  traders  are  on  the  coast  they  should  be  caught. 
Would  it  not  be  well  to  proceed  to  town,  and  lay  the  fact 
of  this  strange  brigantine's  presence  before  the  Governor, 
without  delay  ?" 

"  I  have  other  intentions.  If,  as  you  say,  goods  have 
gone  up  the  bay,  it  is  too  late  for  me  to  stop  them  ;  but 
it  is  not  too  late  to  attempt  to  seize  yon  brigantine.  Now, 
I  would  perform  this  duty  in  a  manner  as  little  likely  to 
offend  any  of  reputable  name,  as  my  allegiance  will  ad 
mit." 

"Sir,  I  extol  this  discretion — not  that  there  is  any  testi 
mony  to  implicate  more  than  the  crew,  but  credit  is  a  deli 
cate  flower,  and  it  should  be  handled  tenderly.  I  see  an 
opening  for  an  arrangement  ;  but,  we  will,  as  in  duty 
bound,  hear  your  propositions  first  ;  as  you  maybe  said  to 
speak  with  the  authority  of  the  Queen.  I  will  merely 
surmise  that  terms  should  be  moderate,  between  friends  ; 
perhaps,  I  should  say,  between  connections,  Captain  Lud- 
low." 

"I  am  flattered  by  the  word,  sir,"  returned  the  young 
sailor,  smiling  with  an  expression  of  delight.  "  First  suf 
fer  me  to  be  admitted  to  the  charming  Cour  des  Fees  but 
for  a  moment." 

"  That  is  a  favor  which  can  hardly  be  refused  you,  who 
may  be  said  to  have  a  right,  now,  to  enter  the  pavilion  at 
pleasure,"  returned  the  Alderman,  unhesitatingly  leading 
the  way  through  the  long  passage  to  the  deserted  apartments 
of  his  niece,  and  continuing  the  blind  allusions  to  the  af 
fairs  of  the  preceding  night,  in  the  same  indirect  manner 
as  had  distinguished  the  dialogue  during  the  whole  inter 
view.  "  I  shall  not  be  unreasonable,  young  gentleman, 
and  here  is  the  pavilion  of  my  niece  ;  I  wish  I  could  add, 
and  here  also  is  its  mistress  ! " 


126  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

"  And  is  la  belle  Barberie  no  longer  a  tenant  of  la  Cour 
des  Fees,"  demanded  Ludlow,  in  a  surprise  too  natural  to 
be  feigned. 

Alderman  Van  Beverout  regarded  the  young  man  in 
wonder ;  pondered  a  moment  to  consider  how  far  denying 
a  knowledge  of  the  absence  of  his  niece  might  benefit  the 
officer  in  the  pending  negotiations  ;  and  he  dryly  observed, 
"  Boats  passed  on  the  water,  during  the  night  If  the 
men  of  Captain  Ludlow  were  at  first  imprisoned,  I  pre 
sume  they  were  set  at  liberty  at  the  proper  time." 

"They  are  carried  I  know  not  whither ;  the  boat  itself 
is  gone,  and  I  am  here  alone." 

"Am  I  to  understand,  Captain  Ludlow,  that  Alida  Bar 
berie  has  not  fled  my  house,  during  the  past  night,  to  seek 
a  refuge  in  your  ship  ?" 

"  Fled  !  "  echoed  the  young  man,  in  a  voice  of  horror. 
"  Has  Alida  de  Barberie  fled  from  the  house  of  her  uncle 
at  all  ? " 

"  Captain  Ludlow,  this  is  not  acting.  On  the  honor  of 
a  gentleman,  are  you  ignorant  of  my  niece's  absence  ?" 

The  young  commander  did  not  answer  ;  but,  striking  his 
head  fiercely,  he  smothered  words  that  were  unintelligible 
to  his  companion.  When  this  momentary  burst  of  feeling 
was  past,  he  sank  into  a  chair,  and  gazed  about  him  in 
stupid  amazement.  All  this  pantomime  was  inexplicable 
to  the  alderman,  who,  however,  began  to  see  that  more  of 
the  conditions  of  the  arrangement  in  hand  were  beyond  the 
control  of  his  companion  than  he  had  at  first  believed.  Still 
the  plot  thickened,  rather  than  grew  clear  ;  and  he  was 
afraid  to  speak,  lest  he  might  utter  more  than  was  prudent. 
The  silence,  therefore,  continued  for  quite  a  minute,  dur 
ing  which  time,  the  parties  sat  gazing  at  each  other  in  dull 
wonder. 

"I  shall  not  deny,  Captain  Ludlow,  that  I  believed  you 
had  prevailed  on  my  niece  to  fly  aboard  the  Coquette  ;  for, 
though  a  man  who  has  always  kept  his  feelings  in  his  own 
command,  as  the  safest  manner  of  managing  particular  in 
terests,  yet  I  am  not  to  learn  that  rash  youth  is  often  guilty 
of  folly.  I  am  now  equally  at  a  loss  with  yourself  to  know 
what  has  become  of  her,  since  here  she  is  not." 

"Hold  !  "  eagerly  interrupted  Ludlow.  "A  boat  left  your 
wharf  for  the  city,  in  the  earlier  hours  of  the  morning. 
Is  it  not  possible  that  she  may  have  taken  a  passage 
in  it  ?" 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  127 

^  It  is  not  possible.  I  have  reasons  to  know — in  short,  sir, 
she  is  not  there." 

"  Then  is  the  unfortunate — the  lovely — the  indiscreet 
girl  forever  lost  to  herself  and  to  us ! "  exclaimed  the 
young  sailor,  groaning  under  his  mental  agony.  "  Rash, 
mercenary  man  !  to  what  an  act  of  madness  has  thirst  of 
gold  driven  one  so  fair — would  I  could  say,  so  pure  and  so 
innocent!  '' 

But  while  the  distress  of  the  lover  was  thus  violent,  and 
caused  him  to  be  so  little  measured  in  his  terms  of  re 
proach,  the  uncle  of  the  fair  offender  appeared  to  be  lost 
in  surprise.  Though  la  belle  Barberie  had  so  well  preserved 
the  decorum  and  reserve  of  her  sex,  as  to  leave  even  her 
suitors  in  doubt  of  the  way  her  inclinations  tended,  the 
watchful  alderman  had  long  suspected  that  the  more  ardent, 
open,  and  manly  commander  of  the  Coquette  was  likely  to 
triumph  over  one  so  cold  in  exterior,  and  so  cautious  in  his 
advances,  as  the  Patroon  of  Kinderhook.  When,  therefore, 
it  became  apparent  Alida  had  disappeared,  he  quite  nat 
urally  inferred  that  she  had  taken  the  simplest  manner  of 
defeating  all  his  plans  for  favoring  the  suit  of  the  latter, 
by  throwing  herself,  at  once,  into  the  arms  of  the  young 
sailor.  The  laws  of  the  colonies  offered  few  obstacles  to 
the  legality  of  their  union  ;  and  when  Ludlow  appeared 
that  morning,  he  firmly  believed  that  he  beheld  one,  who, 
if  he  were  not  so  already,  was  inevitably  soon  to  become 
his  nephew.  But  the  suffering  of  the  disappointed  youth 
could  not  be  counterfeited  ;  and  the  perplexed  alderman 
seemed  utterly  at  a  loss  to  conjecture  Avhat  could  have  be 
come  of  his  niece.  Wonder,rather  than  pain,  possessed  him, 
and  when  he  suffered  his  ample  chin  to  repose  on  the  fin 
ger  and  thumb  of  one  hand,  it  was  with  the  air  of  a  man 
that  revolved,  in  his  mind,  all  the  plausible  points  of  some 
knotty  question. 

"  Holes  and  corners  !  "  he  muttered,  after  a  long  silence; 
"  the  wilful  minx  cannot  be  playing  at  hide  and  seek  with 
her  friends!  The  huzzy  had  ever  too  much  of  la  famille 
de  Barberie,  and  her  high.  Norman  blood  about  her,  as 
that  silly  old  valet  has  it,  to  stoop  to  such  childish  trifling. 
Gone  she  certainly  is,"  he  continued,  looking  again  into 
the  empty  drawers  and  closets,  "and  with  her  the  valua 
bles  have  disappeared.  The  guitar  is  missing — the  lute  I 
sent  across  the  ocean  to  purchase,  an  excellently-toned 
Dutch  lute,  that  cost  every  stiver  of  a  hundred  guilders,  is 


128  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

also  wanting,  and  all  the — hem — the  recent  accessions  have 
disappeared.  And  there,  too,  are  my  sister's  jewels,  that 
I  persuaded  her  to  bring  along,  to  guard  against  accidents 
while  our  backs  are  turned — they  are  not  to  be  seen. 
Francois!  Francois!  Thou  long-tried  servitor  of  Etienne 
Barberie,  what  the  devil  has  become  of  thy  mistress  ? " 

"Mais,  Monsieur,"  returned  the  disconsolate  valet, 
whose  decent  features  exhibited  all  the  signs  of  unequivo 
cal  suffering,  "  she  no  tell  le  pauvre  Francois  !  En  sup- 
posant,  que  monsieur  ask  le  Captaine,  he  shall  problable- 
ment  know." 

The  burgher  cast  a  quick,  suspicious  glance  at  Ludlow, 
and  shook  his  head,  to  express  his  belief  that  the  young 
man  was  true. 

"  Go  ;  desire  Mr.  Van  Staats  of  Kinderhook  to  favor  us 
with  his  company." 

"  Hold,"  cried  Ludlow,  motioning"  to  the  valet  to  with 
draw.  "  Mr.  Beverout,  an  uncle  should  be  tender  to  the 
errors  of  one  so  dear  as  this  cruel,  unreflecting  girl.  You 
cannot  think  of  abandoning  her  to  so  frightful  a  fortune  ?" 

"I  am  not  addicted  to  abandoning  anything,  sir,  to 
which  my  title  is  just  and  legal.  But  you  speak  in 
enigmas.  If  you  are  acquainted  with  the  place  where  my 
niece  is  secreted,  avow  it  frankly,  and  permit  me  to  take 
those  measures  which  the  case  requires." 

Ludlow  reddened  to  his  forehead,  and  he  struggled 
powerfully  with  his  pride  and  with  his  regrets. 

"  It  is  useless  to  attempt  concealing  the  step  which 
Alida  Barberie  has  been  pleased  to  take,"  he  said,  a  smile 
so  bitter  passing  over  his  features  as  to  lend  them  the  ex 
pression  of  severe  mockery  ;  "  she  has  chosen  more  worth 
ily  than  either  of  us  could  have  believed  ;  she  has  found 
a  companion  more  suited  to  her  station,  her  character,  and 
her  sex,  than  Van  Staats  of  Kinderhook,  or  a  poor  com 
mander  of  a  queen's  ship  !  " 

"  Cruisers  and  manors  !  What  in  the  name  of  mysteries 
is  thy  meaning  ?  The  girl  is  not  here  ;  you  declare  she  is 
not  on  board  of  the  Coquette,  and  there  remains 
only " 

"  The  brigantine  !  "  groaned  the  young  sailor,  uttering 
the  word  by  a  violent  effort  of  the  will. 

"  The  brigantine  ! "  repeated  the  Alderman,  slowly. 
"  My  niece  can  have  nothing  to  do  aboard  a  dealer  in  con 
traband.  That  is  to  say,  Alida  Barberie  is  not  a  trader. 'j 


THE   irATER-iriTCH.  129 

"  Alderman  Van  Beverout,  if  we  wish  to  escape  the  con 
tamination  of  vice,  its  society  must  be  avoided.  There 
was  one  in  the  pavilion  of  a  mien  and  assurance  the  past 
night,  that  might  delude  an  angel.  Ah!  woman!  woman! 
thy  mind  is  composed  of  vanities,  and  thy  imagination  is 
thy  bitterest  foe  !  " 

"  Woman  and  vanities  !  "  echoed  the  amazed  burgher. 
"  My  niece,  the  heiress  of  old  Etienne  Marie  de  Barberie, 
and  the  sought  of  so  many  of  honorable  names  and  re 
spectable  professions,  to  be  a  refugee  with  a  rover — al 
ways  supposing  your  opinions  of  the  character  of  the  bri- 
gantine  to  be  just.  This  is  a  conjecture  too  improbable 
to  be  true." 

"  The  eye  of  a  lover,  sir,  may  be  keener  than  that  of  a 
guardian  ;  call  it  jealousy,  if  you  wish — would  to  Heaven 
my  suspicions  were  untrue  ! — but  if  she  be  not  there, 
where  is  she  ? " 

The  opinion  of  the  Alderman  seemed  staggered.  If  la 
belle  Barberie  had  not  yielded  to  the  fascinations  of  that 
wayward,  but  seductive  eye  and  smile,  to  that  singular 
beauty  of  face,  and  to  the  secret  and  often  irresistible 
charm  that  encircles  eminent  personal  attractions,  when 
aided  by  mystery — to  what  had  she  yielded,  and  whither 
had  she  fled  ? 

These  were  the  reflections  that  now  began  to  pass 
through  the  thoughts  of  the  Alderman  as  they  had  already 
planted  stings  in  the  bosom  of  Ludlow.  With  reflection, 
conviction  began  slowly  to  assert  its  power.  But  the  truth 
did  not  gleam  upon  the  mind  of  the  calculating  and  wary 
merchant  with  the  same  instinctive  readiness  that  it  had 
flashed  upon  the  jealous  faculties  of  the  lover.  He  pon 
dered  on  each  circumstance  of  the  interview  between  the 
dealer  in  contraband  and  his  niece  ;  recalled  the  manner 
and  discourse  of  the  former  ;  drew  certain  general  and 
vague  conjectures  concerning  the  power  which  novelty, 
when  coupled  with  circumstance  of  romance,  might  exer 
cise  over  a  female  fancy  ;  and  dwelt  long  and  secretly  on 
some  important  facts  that  were  alone  known  to  himself, 
before  his  judgment  finally  settled  down  into  the  same 
opinion  as  that  which  his  companion  had  formed,  with  all 
the  sensitiveness  of  jealous  alarm. 

"Women  and  vagaries  !"  muttered  the  burgher,  after 
his  study  was  ended.  "Their  conceits  are  as  uncertain  as* 
the  profits  of  a  whaling  voyage,  or  the  luck  of  a  sports- 


1 3o  THE   WATER- WITCH. 

man.  Captain  Ludlow,  your  assistance  will  be  needed  in 
this  affair  ;  and  as  it  may  not  be  too  late,  since  there  are 
few  priests  in  the  brigantine — always  supposing  her  char 
acter  to  be  what  you  affirm — my  niece  may  yet  see  her  error, 
and  be  disposed  to  reward  so  much  assiduity  and  attach 
ment." 

"  My  services  shall  always  be  ready,  so  long  as  they  can 
be  useful  to  Alida  Barberie,"  returned  the  young  officer 
with  haste,  and  yet  a  little  coldly.  "It  will  be  time  enough 
to  speak  of  the  reward  when  we  shall  have  succeeded." 

"  The  less  noise  that  is  made  about  a  little  domestic 
inconvenience  like  this,  the  better  ;  and  I  would  therefore 
suggest  the  propriety  of  keeping  our  suspicions  of  the 
character  of  the  vessel  as  a  secret  until  we  shall  be  better 
informed." 

The  Captain  bowed  his  assent  to  the  proposal. 

"And  now  that  we  are  of  the  same  mind  in  the  pre 
liminaries,  we  will  seek  the  Patroon  of  Kinderhook,  who 
has  a  claim  to  participate  in  our  confidence." 

Myndert  then  led  the  way  from'  the  empty  and  melan 
choly  Cour  des  Fees,  with  a  step  that  had  regained  its 
busy  and  firm  tread,  and  a  countenance  that  expressed  far 
more  of  vexation  and  weariness  than  of  real  sorrow. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

"I'll  give  thee  a  wind." 

"  Thou  art  kind." 

"And  I  another." 

"I  myself  have  all  the  other."—  Macbeth. 

THE  cloud  above  the  mouth  of  the  Raritan  had  not 
risen.  On  the  contrary,  the  breeze  still  came  from  off  the 
sea  ;  and  the  brigantine  in  the  Cove,  with  the  cruiser  of 
the  Queen,  still  lay  at  their  anchors,  like  two  floating  habi 
tations  that  were  not  intended  to  be  removed.  The  hour 
was  that  at  which  the  character  of  the  day  becomes  fixed; 
and  there  was  no  longer  any  expectation  that  a  landwind 
would  enable  the  vessel  of  the  freetrader  to  repass  the 
inlet  before  the  turn  of  the  tide,  which  was  again  running 
swiftly  on  the  flood. 

The  windows  of  the  Lust  in  Rust  were  open,  as  when  its 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  131 

owner  was  present  ;  and  the  menials  were  employed  in  and 
about  the  villa  in  their  customary  occupations  ;  though  it 
was  evident,  by  the  manner  in  which  they  stopped  to  con 
verse,  and  by  the  frequent  conferences  which  had  place  in 
secret  corners,  that  they  wondered  none  the  less  at  the  un 
accountable  disappearance  of  their  young  mistress.  In  all 
other  respects,  the  villa  and  its  grounds  were,  as  usual, 
quiet  and  seemingly  deserted. 

But  there  was  a  group  collected  beneath  the  shade  of  an 
oak  on  the  margin  of  the  cove,  and  at  a  point  where  it  was 
rare  for  a  man  to  be  seen.  This  little  party  appeared  to  be 
in  waiting  for  some  expected  communication  from  the 
brigantine  ;  since  they  had  taken  post  on  the  side  of  the 
inlet  next  the  cape,  and  in  a  situation  so  retired  as  to  be 
entirely  hid  from  any  passing  observation  of  those  who 
might  enter  or  leave  the  mouth  of  the  Shrewsbury. 

in  short,  they  were  on  the  long,  low,  and  narrow  barrier 
of  sand,  that  now  forms  the  projection  of  the  Hook,  and 
which,  by  the  temporary  breach  that  the  Cove  had  made 
between  its  own  waters  and  that  of  the  ocean,  was  then  an 
island. 

"  Snug  should  be  the  motto  of  a  merchant,"  observed 
one  of  these  individuals,  whose  opinions  will  sufficiently 
announce  his  name  to  the  reader.  "He  should  be  snug  in 
his  dealings,  and  snug  in  his  manner  of  conducting  them  ; 
snug  in  his  credits,  and  above  all,  snug  in  his  speculations. 
There  is  as  little  need,  gentlemen,  in  calling  in  the  aid  of 
a. posse-comitatus  for  a  sensible  man  to  keep  his  household 
in  order,  as  that  a  discreet  trader  should  go  whistling 
through  the  public  markets,  with  the  history  of  his  oper 
ations.  I  gladly  court  two  so  worthy  assistants  as  Captain 
Cornelius  Ludlow  and  Mr.  Oloff  Van  Staats  ;  for  I  know 
there  will  be  no  useless  gossip  concerning  the  trifling  de 
rangement  that  hath  occurred.  Ah !  the  black  hath  had 
communications  with  the  freetrader — always  supposing  the 
opinion  of  Mr.  Ludlow  concerning  the  character  of  the 
vessel  to  be  just — and  he  is  quitting  the  brigantine." 

Neither  of  the  companions  of  the  Alderman  made  any 
reply.  Each  watched  the  movement  of  the  skiff  that  con 
tained  their  messenger,  and  each  seemed  to  feel  an  equal 
interest  in  the  result  of  his  errand.  Instead,  however,  of 
approaching  the  spot  where  his  master  and  his  two  friends 
expected  him,  the  negro,  though  he  knew  that  his  boat  was 
necessary  to  enable  the  party  to  recross  the  inlet,  pulled 


.•• 

rja  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

directly  for  the  mouth  of  the  river — a  course  that  was 
exactly  contrary  to  the  one  he  was  expected  to  take. 

"  Rank  disobedience  !"  grumbled  the  incensed  master. 
"  The  irreverent  dog  is  deserting  us  on  this  neck  of  barren 
sand,  where  we  are  cut  off  from  all  communication  with  the 
interior,  and  are  as  completely  without  the  intelligence  of 
the  state  of  the  market,  and  other  necessaries,  as  men  in  a 
desert ! " 

"Here  comes  one  that  seems  disposed  to  bring  us  to  a 
parley,"  observed  Ludlow,  whose  practised  eye  had  first 
detected  a  boat  quitting  the  side  of  the  brigantine,  as  well 
as  the  direction  it  was  about  to  steer. 

The  young  commander  was  not  deceived  ;  for  a  light 
cutter,  that  played  like  a  bubble  on  its  element,  was  soon 
approaching  the  shore,  where  the  three  expectants  were 
seated.  When  it  was  near  enough  to  render  sight  perfectly 
distinct,  and  speech  audible  without  an  effort,  the  crew 
ceased  rowing,  and  permitted  the  boat  to  lie  in  a  state  of 
rest.  The  mariner  of  the  India-shawl  then  arose  in  the 
stern-sheets  and  examined  the  thicket  behind  the  party 
with  a  curious  and  suspicious  eye.  After  a  sufficient 
search,  he  signed  to  his  crew  to  force  the  cutter  still  nigher 
to  the  land,  and  spoke  : 

"Who  has  affairs  with  any  of  the  brigantine  ?"  he  coolly 
demanded,  wearing  the  air  of  one  wTho  had  no  reason  to 
anticipate  the  object  of  their  visit.  "  She  has  little  left 
that  can  turn  to  profit,  unless  she  parts  with  her  beauty." 

"  Truly,  good  stranger,"  returned  the  Alderman,  laying 
a  sufficient  emphasis  on  the  latter  word,  "  here  are  none 
disposed  to  a  traffic,  which  might  not  be  pleasing  to  the 
authorities  of  the  country,  were  its  nature  known.  We 
come  with  a  desire  to  be  admitted  to  a  conference  with  the 
commander  of  the  vessel,  on  a  matter  of  especial  but  pri 
vate  concern." 

"Why  send  a  public  officer  on  the  duty?  I  see  one, 
there,  in  the  livery  of  Queen  Anne.  We  are  no  lovers  of 
her  Majesty's  servants,  and  would  not  willingly  form  disa 
greeable  acquaintances." 

Ludlow  nearly  bit  through  his  lip,  in  endeavoring  to  re 
press  his  anger  at  the  cool  confidence  of  one  who  had 
already  treated  him  with  so  little  ceremony,  and  then 
momentarily  forgetting  his  object,  in  professional  pride, 
and  perhaps  we  might  ad<J  in  the  habits  of  his  rank,  he 
interrupted  the  dialogue. 


THE   WATER^ffTjpjf.  133 

"  If  you  see  the  livery  of  the  roy'itT  authority,"  he  said 
haughtily,  "  you  must  be  sensible  it  is  worn  by  one  who  is 
commissioned  to  cause  its  rights  to  be  respected.  I  demand 
the  name  and  character  of  yon  brigantine  !  " 

"As  for  character,  she  is;  like  many  another  beauty, 
something  vituperated  ;  nay,  some  carry  their  envy  so  far 
as  to  call  it  cracked  !  But  we  are  jolly  mariners  that  sail 
her,  and  little  heed  crazy  reports  at  the  expense  of  our 
mistress.  As  for  a  name,  we  answer  any  hail  that  is  fairly 
spoken,  and  well  meant.  Call  us  '  Honesty,'  if  you  will, 
for  want  of  the  register." 

"  There  is  much  reason  to  suspect  your  vessel  of  illegal 
practices  ;  and,  in  the  name  of  the  Queen,  I  demand  access 
to  her  papers,  and  the  liberty  of  a  free  search  into  her 
cargo  and  crew.  Else  will  there  be  necessity  to  bring  her 
under  the  guns  of  the  cruiser,  which  lies  at  no  great  dis 
tance,  waiting  only  for  orders." 

"  It  takes  no  scholar  to  read  our  documents,  Captain 
Ludlow  ;  they  are  written  by  a  light  keel  on  the  rolling 
waters,  and  he  who  follows  in  our  wake  may  guess  at  their 
authority.  If  you  wish  to  overhaul  our  cargo,  you  must 
look  sharply  into  the  cuffs  and  aprons,  the  negligees  and 
stomachers  of  the  Governor's  lady,  at  the  next  ball  at  the 
fort  ;  or  pry  into  the  sail  that  is  set  above  the  farthingales 
of  the  wife  and  daughters  of  your  Admiralty  Judge  !  We 
are  no  cheesemongers,  to  break  the  shins  of  a  boarding 
officer  among  boxes  and  butter  tubs." 

"Your  brigantine  has  a  name,  sirrah  ;  and,  in  her  Maj 
esty's  authority,  I  demand  to  know  it." 

"  Heaven  forbid  that  any  here  should  dispute  the  Queen's 
right !  You  are  a  seaman,  Captain  Ludlow,  and  have  an 
eye  for  comeliness  in  a  craft,  as  well  as  in  a  woman.  Look 
at  those  harpings  !  There  is  no  fall  of  a  shoulder  can  equal 
that  curve,  in  grace  or  richness ;  this  shear  surpasses  the 
justness  and  delicacy  of  any  waist ;  and  there  you  see  the 
transoms,  swelling  and  rounded  like  the  outlines  of  a 
Venus.  Ah!  she  is  a  bewitching  creature  ;  and  no  wonder 
that,  floating  as  she  does,  on  the  seas,  they  should  have 
called  her — 

"  Water-Witch  !  "  said  Ludlow,  finding  that  the  other 
paused. 

"  You  deserve  to  be  one  of  the  sisterhood  yourself,  Cap 
tain  Ludlow,  for  this  readiness  in  divination  !  " 

"Amazement  and  surprise,  Patroon  !"  exclaimed  Myn- 


134  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

dert,  with  a  tremendous  hem.  "  Here  is  a  discovery  to 
give  a  respectable  merchant  more  uneasiness  than  the  un- 
dutiful  conduct  of  fifty  nieces  !  This  vessel  then  is  the 
famous  brigantine  of  the  notorious  Skimmer  of  the  Seas  ! 
a  man  whose  misdeeds  in  commerce  are  as  universally 
noted  as  the  stoppage  of  a  general  dealer  !  Pray,  Master 
Mariner,  do  not  distrust  our  purposes.  We  do  not  come, 
sent  by  any  authority  of  the  country,  to  pry  into  your  past 
transactions,  of  which  it  is  quite  unnecessary  for  you  to 
speak;  and  far  less  to  indulge  in  any  unlawful  thirst  of 
gain,  by  urging  a  traffic  that  is  forbidden  by  the  law.  We 
wish  solely  to  confer  with  the  celebrated  freebooter  and 
rover,  who  must,  if  your  account  be  true,  command  the 
vessel,  for  a  few  minutes,  on  an  affair  of  common  interest 
to  the  three.  This  officer  of  the  Queen  is  obliged,  by  his 
duty,  to  make  certain  demands  of  you,  with  which  you 
will  comply,  or  not,  at  your  own  good  discretion  ;  and 
since  her  Majesty's  cruiser  is  so  far  beyond  reach  of  bullet, 
it  cannot  be  expected  you  will  do  otherwise  ;  but  further 
than  that  he  has  no  present  intention  to  proceed.  Parley 
and  civilities  !  Captain  Ludlow,  we  must  speak  the  man 
fair,  or  tie  will  leave  us  to  get  over  the  inlet,  and  back  to 
the  Lust  and  Rust,  as  we  may  ;  and  that  too,  as  empty- 
handed  as  we  came.  Remember  our  stipulations,  without 
observing  which  I  shall  withdraw  from  the  adventure  alto 
gether." 

Ludlow  bit  his  lip,  and  continued  silent.  The  seaman 
of  the  shawl,  or  Master  Tiller,  as  he  has  been  more  than 
once  called,  again  narrowly  examined  the  background,  and 
caused  his  boat  to  approach  so  near  the  land,  that  it  was 
possible  to  step  into  it  by  the  stern. 

"  Enter,"  he  said  to  the  Captain  of  the  Coquette,  who 
needed  no  second  invitation  ;  "  enter,  for  a  valuable  host 
age  is  a  safe  pledge  in  a  truce.  The  Skimmer  is  no  enemy  to 
good  company  ;  and  I  have  done  justice  to  the  Queen's  ser 
vitor,  by  introducing  him  already,  by  name  and  character." 

"  Fellow,  the  success  of  your  deception  may  cause  you 
to  triumph  for  a  time  ;  but  remember  that  the  Co 
quette " 

"  Is  a  wholesome  boat,  whose  abilities  I  have  taken,  to 
the  admeasurement  of  her  moment-glass,"  observed  Tiller, 
very  coolly  taking  the  words  out  of  the  other's  mouth. 
"  But  as  there  is  business  to  be  done  with  the  Skimmer, 
we  will  speak  more  of  this  anon." 


THE   WATER- WITCH.  135 

"  The  mariner  of  the  shawl,  who  had  maintained  his  for 
mer  audacious  demeanor,  now  became  grave  ;  and  he 
spoke  to  his  crew  with  authority,  bidding  them  pull  the 
boat  to  the  side  of  the  brigantine. 

The  exploits,  the  mysterious  character,  and  the  daring  of 
the  Water-Witch,  and  of  him  who  sailed  her,  \vere,  in  that 
day,  the  frequent  subjects  of  anger,  admiration,  and  sur 
prise.  Those  who  found  pleasure  in  the  marvellous,  listened 
to  the  wonders  that  were  recounted  of  her  speed  and  bold 
ness  with  pleasure  ;  they  who  had  been  so  often  foiled  in 
their  attempts  to  arrest  the  hardy  dealers  in  contraband, 
reddened  at  her  name  ;  and  all  wondered  at  the  success 
and  intelligence  with  which  her  movements  were  controlled. 
It  will,  therefore,  create  no  astonishment  when  we  say, 
that  Ludlow  and  the  Patroon  drew  near  to  the  light  and 
graceful  fabric  with  an  interest  that  deepened  at  each 
stroke  of  the  oars.  So  much  of  a  profession  which,  in  that 
age,  was  particularly  marked  and  apart  from  the  rest  of 
mankind  in  habits  and  opinions,  had  been  interwoven  into 
the  character  of  the  former,  that  he  could  not  see  the  just 
proportions,  the  graceful  outlines  of  the  hull,  or  the  ex 
quisite  symmetry  and  neatness  of  the  spars  and  rigging, 
without  experiencing  a  feeling  somewhat  allied  to  that 
which  undeniable  superiority  excites  in  the  heart  of  even 
a  rival.  There  was  also  a  taste  in  the  style  of  the  merely 
ornamental  parts  of  the  delicate  machine  which  caused  as 
much  surprise  as  her  model  and  rig. 

Seamen,  in  all  ages,  and  in  every  state  of  their  art,  have 
been  ambitious  of  bestowing  on  their  floating  habitations 
a  style  of  decoration  which,  while  appropriate  to  their 
element,  should  be  thought  somewhat  analogous  to  the 
architectural  ornaments  of  the  land.  Piety,  superstition, 
and  national  usages  affect  these  characteristic  ornaments, 
which  are  still  seen,  in  different  quarters  of  the  world,  to 
occasion  broad  distinctions  between  the  appearances  of 
vessels.  In  one,  the  rudder-head  is  carved  with  the  re 
semblance  of  some  hideous  monster  ;  another  shows  gog 
gling  eyes  and  lolling  tongues  from  its  cat-heads  ;  this  has 
the  patron  saint,  or  the  ever-kind  Marie,  embossed  upon 
its  moldings  or  bows  ;  while  that  is  covered  with  the 
allegorical  emblems  of  country  and  duty.  Few  of  these 
efforts  of  nautipal  art  are  successful  ;  though  a  better  taste 
appears  to  be  gradually  redeeming  even  this  branch  of 
human  industry  from  the  rubbish  of  barbarism,  and  to  be 


136  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

elevating  it  to  a  state^which  shall  do  no  violence  to  the  more 
fastidious  opinions  of  the  age.  But  the  vessel  of  which  we 
write,  though  constructed  at  so  remote  a  period,  would 
have  done  credit  to  the  improvements  of  our  own  time. 

It  has  been  said  that  the  hull  of  this  celebrated  smuggler 
was  low,  dark,  moulded  with  exquisite  art,  and  so  justly 
balanced  as  to  ride  upon  its  element  like  a  sea-fowl.  For 
a  little  distance  above  the  water,  it  showed  a  blue  that 
vied  with  the  color  of  the  deep  ocean,  the  use  of  copper 
being  then  unknown  ;  while  the  more  superior  parts  were 
of  a  jet  black,  delicately  relieved  by  two  lines  of  a  straw- 
color,  that  were  drawn  with  mathematical  accuracy,  parallel 
to  the  plane  of  her  upper  works,  and  consequently  con 
verging  slightly  toward  the  sea,  beneath  her  counter. 
Glossy  hammock-cloths  concealed  the  persons  of  those 
who  were  on  the  deck,  while  the  close  bulwarks  gave  the 
brigantine  the  air  of  a  vessel  equipped  for  war.  Still  the 
eye  of  Ludlow  ran  curiously  along  the  whole  extent  of  the 
two  straw-colored  lines,  seeking  in  vain  some  evidence  of 
the  weight  and  force  of  her  armament.  If  she  had  ports 
at  all,  they  were  so  ingeniously  concealed  as  to  escape  the 
keenest  of  his  glances.  The  nature  of  the  rig  has  been 
already  described.  Partaking  of  the  double  character  of 
brig  and  schooner,  the  sails  and  spars  of  the  forward-mast 
being  of  the  former,  while  those  of  the  after-mast  were  of 
the  latter  construction,  seamen  have  given  to  this  class  of 
shipping  the  familiar  name  of  hermaphrodites.  But  though 
there  might  be  fancied  by  this  term  some  want  of  the 
proportions  that  constitute  seemliness,  it  will  be  remem 
bered  that  the  departure  was  only  from  some  former  rule 
of  art,  and  that  no  violence  had  been  done  to  those  uni 
versal  and  permanent  laws  which  constitute  the  charm  of 
nature. 

The  models  of  glass  which  are  seen  representing  the 
machinery  of  a  ship,  are  not  more  exact  or  just  in  their 
lines  than  were  the  cordage  and  spars  of  this  brigantine. 
Not  a  rope  varied  from  its  true  direction  ;  not  a  sail,  but 
it  resembled  the  neat  folds  of  some  prudent  housewife  ; 
not  a  mast  or  a  yard  was  there,  but  it  rose  into  the  air,  or 
stretched  its  arms,  with  the  most  fastidious  attention  to 
symmetry.  All  was  airy,  fanciful,  and  full  of  grace,  seem 
ing  to  lend  to  the  fabric  a  character  of  unreal  lightness 
and  speed.  As  the  boat  drew  near  her  side,  a  change  of 
the  air  caused  the  buoyant  bark  to  turn  like  a  vane  to  its 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  137 

current ;  and  as  all  the  long  and  pointed  proportions  of  her 
head-gear  came  into  view,  Ludlow  saw  beneath  the  bow 
sprit  an  image  that  might  be  supposed  to  make,  by  means 
of  allegory,  some  obvious  allusions  to  the  character  of  the 
vessel.  A  female  form,  fashioned  with  the  carver's  best 
skill,  stood  on  the  projection  of  the  cutwater.  The  figure 
rested  lightly  on  the  ball  of  one  foot,  while  the  other  was 
suspended  in  an  easy  attitude,  resembling  the  airy  posture 
of  the  famous  Mercury  of  the  Bolognese.  The  drapery 
was  fluttering,  scanty,  and  of  a  light  sea-green  tint,  as  if  it 
had  imbibed  a  hue  from  the  element  beneath.  The  face 
was  of  that  dark  bronze  color  which  human  ingenuity  has, 
from  time  immemorial,  adopted  as  the  best  medium  to 
portray  a  superhuman  expression.  The  locks  were  dis 
heveled,  wild,  and  rich  ;  the  eye  full  of  such  a  meaning  as 
might  be  fancied  to  glitter  in  the  organs  of  a  sorceress  ; 
while  a  smile  so  strangely  meaning  and  malign  played 
about  the  mouth,  that  the  young  sailor  started  when  it 
first  met  his  view,  as  if  a  living  thing  had  returned  his  look. 

"  Witchcraft  and  necromancy !  "  grumbled  the  Alderman, 
as  this  extraordinary  image  came  suddenly  en  his  vision 
also.  "  Here  is  a  brazen  looking  huzzy  !  and  one  who 
might  rob  the  Queen's  treasury  itself,  without  remorse  ! 
Your  eyes  are  young,  Patroon  ;  what  is  that  the  minx  holds 
so  impudently  above  her  head?" 

"  It  seems  an  open  book,  with  letters  of  red  written  on 
its  pages.  One  need  not  be  a  conjurer  to  divine  it  is  no 
extract  from  the  Bible." 

"  Nor  from  the  statute  books  of  Queen  Anne.  I  warrant 
me  'tis  a  ledger  of  profit  gained  in  her  many  wanderings. 
Goggling  and  leers  !  the  bold  air  of  the  confident  creature 
is  enough  to  put  an  honest  man  out  of  countenance!  " 

"  Wilt  read  the  motto  of  the  witch  ? "  demanded  he  of 
the  India-shawl,  whose  eye  had  been  studying  the  detail  of 
the  brigantine's  equipment,  rather  than  attending  to  the 
object  which  so  much  attracted  the  looks  of  his  compan 
ions.  "  The  night  air  has  tautened  the  cordage  of  that 
flying-jib-boom,  fellows,  until  it  begins  to  lift  its  nose  like 
a  squeamish  cockney,  when  he  holds  it  over  salt  water  ! 
See  to  it,  and  bring  the  spar  in  line  ;  else  we  shall 
have  a  reproof  from  the  sorceress,  who  little  likes  to  have 
any  of  her  limbs  deranged.  Here,  gentlemen,  the  opinions 
of  the  lady  may  bo  read  as  clearly  as  woman's  mind  can 
ever  be  fathomed." 


138  THE   WATER- WITCH. 

While  speaking  to  his  crew  Tiller  had  changed  the  di 
rection  of  the  boat  ;  and  it  was  soon  lying,  in  obedience 
to  a  motion  of  his  hand,  directly  beneath  the  wild  and  sig 
nificant  looking  image  just  described.  The  letters  in  red 
were  now  distinctly  visible  ;  and  when  Alderman  Van  Be- 
verout  had  adjusted  his  spectacles,  each  of  the  party  read 
the  following  sentence  : 

Albeit  I  never  lend  nor  borrow, 

By  taking  nor  giving  of  excess, 

Yet  to  supply  the  ripe  wants  of  my  friend, 

I'll  break  a  custom. — Merchant  of  l^enice. 

"The  brazen  !"  exclaimed  Myndert,  when  he  had  gone 
through  this  quotation  from  the  immortal  bard.  "  Ripe  or 
green,  one  could  not  wish  to  be  the  friend  of  so  impudent 
a  thing  ;  and  then  to  impute  such  sentiments  to  any  re 
spectable  commercial  man,  whether  of  Venice  or  Amster 
dam  !  Let  us  board  the  brigantine,  friend  mariner,  and 
end  the  connection  ere  foul  mouths  begin  to  traduce  our 
motives  for  the  visit." 

"  The  over-driven  ship  plows  the  seas  too  deep  for  speed  ; 
we  shall  get  into  port  in  better  season  without  this  haste. 
Wilt  take  another  look  into  the  dark  lady's  pages  ?  A 
woman's  mind  is  never  known  at  the  first  answer  !  " 

The  speaker  raised  the  rattan  he  still  carried  and  caused 
a  page  of  painted  metal  to  turn  on  hinges  that  were  so  art 
fully  concealed  as  not  to  be  visible.  A  new  surface,  with 
another  extract,  was  seen. 

"  What  is  it,  what  is  it,  Patroon  ? "  demanded  the  burgher, 
who  appeared  greatly  to  distrust  the  discretion  of  the  sor 
ceress.  "  Follies  and  rhymes !  but  this  is  the  way  of  the 
whole  sex  ;  when  nature  has  denied  them  tongues,  they 
invent  other  means  of  speech." 

Porters  of  the  sea  and  land, 
Thus  do  go  about,  about ; 
Thrice-to  thine,  and  thrice  to  thine, 
And  thrice  again  to  make  up  nine. 

"  Rank  nonsense  !  "  continued  the  burgher !  "  It  is  well 
for  those  who  can,  to  add  thrice  and  thrice  to  their  stores  ; 
but  look  you,  Patroon — it  is  a  thriving  trade  that  can 
double  the  value  of  the  adventure,  and  that  with  reasona 
ble  risks,  and  months  of  patient  watching." 

"  We  have  other  pages,"  resumed  Tiller,  "  but  our  affairs 
drag  for  want  of  attending  to  them.  One  may  read  much 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  139 

good  matter  in  the  book  of  the  sorceress,  when  there  is 
leisure  and  opportunity.  I  often  take  occasion,  in  the 
calms,  to  look  into  her  volume  ;  and  it  is  rare  to  find  the 
same  moral  twice  told,  r.s  these  brave  seamen  can  swear." 

The  mariners  at  the  oars  confirmed  this  assertion  by 
their  grave  and  believing  faces,  while  their  superior  caused 
the  boat  to  quit  the  place,  and  the  image  of  the  Water- 
Witch  was  left  floating  in  solitude  above  her  proper  ele 
ment. 

Th  arrival  of  the  cutter  produced  no  sensation  among 
those  who  were  found  on  the  deck  of  the  brigantine.  The 
mariner  of  the  shawl  welcomed  his  companions  frankly 
and  heartily  ;  and  then  he  left  them  for  a  minute  to  make 
their  observations,  while  he  discharged  some  duty  in  the 
interior  of  the  vessel.  The  moments  were  not  lost,  as 
powerful  curiosity  induced  all  the  visitors  to  gaze  about 
them,  in  the  manner  in  which  men  study  the  appearance 
of  any  celebrated  object,  that  has  long  been  known  only 
by  reputation.  It  was  quite  apparent  that  even  Alderman 
Van  Beverout  had  penetrated  farther  into  the  mysteries  of 
the  beautiful  brigantine,  than  he  had  ever  before  been. 
But  it  was  Ludlow  who  gathered  most  from  this  brief  op 
portunity,  and  whose  understanding  glances  so  rapidly  and 
eagerly  ran  over  all  that  a  seaman  could  wish  to  examine. 

An  admirable  neatness  reigned  in  every  part.  The 
planks  of  the  deck  resembled  the  work  of  the  cabinet 
maker,  rather  than  the  coarser  labor  whicjj  is  generally  seen 
in  such  a  place  ;  and  the  same  excellence  of  material,  and 
exactness  in  the  finish,  were  visible  in  the  ceilings  of  the 
light  bulwarks,  the  railings,  and  all  the  other  objects 
which  necessarily  came  conspicuously  into  view,  in  the 
construction  of  such  a  fabric.  Brass  was  tastefully  rather 
than  lavishly  used  on  many  of  those  parts  where  metal 
was  necessary  ;  and  the  paint  of  the  interior  wTas  every 
where  a  light  and  delicate  straw-color.  Armament  there 
was  none,  or  at  least  none  visible  ;  nor  did  the  fifteen  or 
twenty  grave-looking  seamen,  who  were  silently  lounging 
with  folded  arms  about  the  vessel,  appear  to  be  those  who 
would  find  pleasure  in  scenes  of  violence.  They  were, 
without  an  exception,  men  who  had  reached  the  middle 
age,  of  weather-worn  and  thoughtful  countenances,  many 
of  them  even  showing  heads  that  had  begun  to  be  grizzled 
more  by  time  than  even  by  exposure.  Thus  much  Ludlow 
had  been  enabled  to  ascertain,  ere  they  were  rejoined  by 


1 40  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

Tiller.  When  the  latter  again  came  on  deck,  he  showed, 
however,  no  desire  to  conceal  any  of  the  perfections  of  his 
habitation. 

"  The  wilful  sorceress  is  no  niggard  in  accommodating 
her  followers,"  said  the  mariner,  observing  the  manner  in 
which  the  Queen's  officer  was  employed.  "  Here,  you  see, 
the  Skimmer  keeps  room  enough  for  an  admiral,  in  his 
cabins  ;  and  the  fellows  are  berthed  aft,  far  beyond  the 
foremast  ;  wilt  step  to  the  hatch  and  look  below  ? " 

The  Captain  and  his  companions  did  as  desired,  and  to 
the  amazement  of  the  former  he  perceived  that  with  the 
exception  of  a  sort  of  room  fitted  up  with  large  and  water 
tight  lockers,  which  were  placed  in  full  view,  all  the  rest 
of  the  brigantine  was  occupied  by  the  accommodations  of 
her  officers  and  crew. 

"  The  world  gives  us  the  reputation  of  freetraders,"  con 
tinued  Tiller,  smiling  maliciously  ;  "but  if  the  admiralty 
court  were  here,  big  wigs  and  high  staffs,  judge  and  jury, 
it  would  be  at  a  loss  to  bring  us  to  conviction.  There  is 
iron  to  keep  the  lady  on  her  feet,  and  water,  with  some 
garnish  of  Jamaica,  and  the  wines  of  old  Spain  and  the  isl 
ands,  to  cheer  the  hearts  and  cool  the  mouths  of  my  fellows, 
beneath  that  deck  ;  and  more  than  that,  there  is  not.  We 
have  stores  for  the  table  and  the  breeze,  beyond  yon  bulk 
head  ;  and  here  are  lockers  beneath  you,  that  are — empty  ! 
See,  one  is  open;  it  is  neat  as  any  drawer  in  a  lady's 
bureau.  This  is  no  place  for  your  Dutchman's  strong 
waters,  or  the  coarse  skins  of  your  tobacconist.  Odd's  my 
life  !  He  who  would  go  on  the  scent  of  the  Water- Witch's 
lading,  must  follow  your  beauty  in  her  satins,  or  your  par 
son  in  his  band  and  gown.  There  would  be  much  lamen 
tation  in  the  church,  and  many  a  heavy-hearted  bishop, 
were  it  known  that  the  good  craft  had  come  to  harm  !  " 

"  There  must  be  an  end  to  this  audacious  trifling  with 
the  law,"  said  Ludlow  ;  ''and  the  time  may  be  nearer  than 
you  suppose." 

"  I  look  at  the  pages  of  the  lady's  book  in  the  pride  of 
each  morning  :  for  we  have  it  aboard  here,  that  when  she 
intends  to  serve  us  foul,  she  will  at  least  be  honest  enough 
to  give  a  warning.  The  mottoes  often  change,  but  her 
words  are  ever  true.  'Tis  hard  to  overtake  the  driving  mist, 
Captain  Ludlow,  and  he  must  hold  good  way  with  the 
wind  itself  who  wishes  to  stay  long  in  our  company." 

"  Many  a  boastful  sailor  has  been  caught.     The  breeze 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  141 

that  is  good  for  the  light  of  draught,  and  the  breeze  that  is 
good  for  the  deep  keel,  are  different.  You  may  live  to 
learn  what  a  stout  spar,  a  wide  arm,  and  a  steady  hull  can 
do." 

"  The  lady  of  the  wild  eye  and  wicked  smile  protect  me  ! 
I  have  seen  the  witch  buried  fathoms  deep  in  brine,  and 
the  glittering  water  falling  from  her  tresses  like  golden 
stars  ;  but  never  have  I  read  an  untruth  in  her  pages. 
There  is  good  intelligence  between  her  and  some  on  board  ; 
and,  trust  me,  she  knows  the  path  of  the  ocean  too  well  to 
steer  a  wrong  course.  But  we  prate  like  gossiping  river- 
men.  Wilt  see  the  Skimmer  of  the  Seas  ?  " 

"  Such  is  the  object  of  our  visit,"  returned  Ludlow, 
whose  heart  beat  violently  at  the  name  of  the  redoubtable 
rover.  "If  you  are  not  he,  bring  us  where  he  is." 

"  Speak  lower  ;  if  the  lady  under  the  bowsprit  hear  such 
treason  against  her  favorite,  I'll  not  answer  for  her  good 
will.  If  I  am  not  he  !"  added  the  hero  of  the  India  shawl, 
laughing  freely.  "  Well,  an  ocean  is  bigger  than  a  sea,  and 
a  bay  is  not  a  gulf.  You  shall  have  an  opportunity  of 
judging  between  us,  noble  Captain,  and  then  I  leave  opin 
ions  to  each  man's  wisdom.  Follow." 

He  quitted  the  hatchway,  and  led  his  companions  toward 
the  accommodations  in  the  stern  of  the  vessel. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

God  save  you,  sir  ! 

And  you,  sir  ;  you  are  welcome. 

Travel  you,  sir,  or  are  you  at  the  farthest  ? 

— Taming  of  the  Shrew. 

IF  the  exterior  of  the  brigantine  was  so  graceful  in  form 
and  so  singular  in  arrangement,  the  interior  was  still  more 
worthy  of  observation.  There  were  two  small  cabins  be 
neath  the  main  deck,  one  on  each  side  of,  and  immediately 
adjoining,  the  limited  space  that  was  destined  to  receive 
her  light  but  valuable  cargoes.  It  was  into  one  of  these 
that  Tiller  had  descended  like  a  man  who  freely  entered 
into  his  own  apartment  ;  but  partly  above,  and  nearer  to 
the  stern,  were  a  suite  of  little  rooms  that  were  fitted  and 
furnished  in  a  style  altogether  different.  The  equipments 
were  those  of  a  yacht,  rather  than  those  which  might  be 


142  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

supposed  suited  to  the  pleasures  of  even  the  most  suc 
cessful  dealer  in  contraband. 

The  principal  deck  had  been  sunk  several  feet,  com 
mencing  at  the  aftermost  bulkhead  of  the  cabins  of  the 
subordinate  officers,  in  a  manner  to  give  the  necessary 
height  without  interfering  with  the  line  of  the  brigantine's 
shear.  The  arrangement  was  consequently  not  to  be  seen 
by  an  observer  who  was  not  admitted  into  the  vessel  itself. 
A  descent  of  a  step  or  two,  however,  brought  the  visitors 
to  the  level  of  the  cabin  floor,  and  into  an  ante  room  that 
was  evidently  fitted  for  the  convenience  of  the  domestics. 
A  small  silver  hand-bell  lay  on  the  table,  and  Tiller  rang 
it  lightly,  like  one  whose  ordinary  manner  was  restrained 
by  respect.  It  was  answered  by  the  appearance  of  a  boy, 
whose  years  could  not  exceed  ten.  and  whose  attire  was  so 
whimsical  as  to  merit  description. 

The  material  of  the  dress  of  this  young  servitor  of  Nep 
tune  wras  alight  rose-colored  silk,  cut  in  a  fashion  to  re 
semble  the  habits  formerly  worn  by  pages  of  the  great. 
His  body  was  belted  by  a  band  of  gold,  a  collar  of  fine 
thread  lace  floated  on  his  neck  and  shoulders,  and  even  his 
feet  were  clad  in  a  sort  of  buskins  that  were  ornamented 
with  fringes  of  real  lace  and  tassels  of  bullion.  The  form 
and  features  of  the  child  were  delicate,  and  his  air  as  un 
like  as  possible  to  the  coarse  and  brusque  manner  of  a 
vulgar  ship-boy. 

"  Waste  and  prodigality  !  "  muttered  the  Alderman,  wrhen 
this  extraordinary  little  usher  presented  himself,  in  answer 
to  the  summons  of  Tiller.  "  This  is  the  very  wantonness 
of  cheap  goods  and  an  unfettered  commerce  !  There  is 
enough  of  Mechlin,  Patroon,  on  the  shoulders  of  that  ur 
chin,  to  deck  the  stomacher  of  the  Queen.  'Fore  George, 
goods  were  cheap  in  the  market,  when  the  young  scoun 
drel  had  his  livery  ! " 

The  surprise  was  not  confined,  however,  to  the  observ 
ant  and  frugal  burgher.  Ludlovv  and  Van  Staats  of  Kin- 
derhook  manifested  equal  amazement,  though  their  wonder 
was  exhibited  in  a  less  characteristic  manner.  The  former 
turned  short  to  demand  the  meaning  of  this  masquerade, 
when  he  perceived  that  the  hero  of  the  India  shawl  had 
disappeared.  They  were  then  alone  with  the  fantastic 
page,  and  it  became  necessary  to  trust  to  his  intelligence 
for  directions  how  to  proceed. 

"  Who  art  thou,  child  ?— and  who  has  sent  thee  hither?" 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  143 

demanded  Ludlow.  The  boy  raised  a  cap  of  the  same  rose- 
colored  silk,  and  pointed  to  an  image  of  a  female,  with  a 
swarthy  face  and  a  malign  smile,  painted,  with  exceeding 
art,  on  its  front. 

"  I  serve  the  sea-green  lady,  with  others  of  the  brigantine. " 

"  And  who  is  the  lady  of  the  color  of  shallow  water,  and 
whence  come  you,  in  particular  ? " 

"This  is  her  likeness  :  if  you  would  speak  with  her,  she 
stands  on  the  cutwater,  and  rarely  refuses  an  answer." 

"  'Tis  odd  that  a  form  of  wood  should  have  the  gift  of 
speech  ! " 

"  Dost  think  her  then  of  wood  ? "  returned  the  child, 
looking  timidly,  and  yet  curiously,  up  into  the  face  of 
Ludlow.  "  Others  have  said  the  same  ;  but  those  who 
know  best  deny  it.  She  does  not  answer  with  a  tongue, 
but  the  book  has  always  something  to  say." 

"  Here  is  a  grievous  deception  practised  on  the  super 
stition  of  this  boy !  I  have  read  the  book  and  can  make 
little  of  its  meaning." 

"  Then  read  again.  'Tis  by  many  reaches  that  the  lee 
ward  vessel  gains  upon  the  wind.  My  master  bid  me  ask 
you  in " 

"  Hold— thou  hast  both  master  and  mistress  ?  You  have 
told  us  of  the  latter,  but  we  would  know  something  of  the 
former.  Who  is  thy  master  ?  " 

The  boy  smiled  and  looked  aside,  as  if  he  hesitated  to 
answer. 

"  Nay,  refuse  not  to  reply.  I  come  with  the  authority 
of  the  Queen." 

"  He  tells  us  that  the  sea-green  lady  is  our  queen,  and 
that  we  have  no  other." 

"Rashness  and  rebellion!"  muttered  Myndert,  "but 
this  foolhardiness  will  one  day  bring  as  pretty  a  brigantine 
as  ever  sailed  in  the  narrow  seas  to  condemnation  ;  and 
then  there  will  be  rumors  abroad,  and  characters  cracked, 
until  every  lover  of  gossip  in  the  Americas  shall  be  tired 
of  defamation." 

"It  is  a  bold  subject  that  dares  say  this  !  "  rejoined  Lud 
low,  who  heeded  not  the  by-play  of  the  Alderman  ;  "  your 
master  has  a  name  ?  " 

"We  never  hear  it.  When  Neptune  boards  us  under 
the  tropics,  he  always  hails  the  Skimmer  of  the  Seas,  and 
then  they  answer.  The  old  god  knows  us  well,  for  we  pass 
his  latitude  oftener  than  other  ships,  they  say." 


144  THE   WATER- WITCH. 

11  You  are  then  a  cruiser  of  some  service  in  the  brigan- 
tine — no  doubt  you  have  trod  many  distant  shores,  belong 
ing  to  so  swift  a  craft." 

"  I  !  I  never  was  on  land,"  returned  the  boy,  thought 
fully.  "  It  must  be  droll  to  be  there  ;  they  say  one  can 
hardly  walk,  it  is  so  steady  !  I  put  a  question  to  the  sea- 
green  lady  before  we  came  to  the  narrow  inlet,  to  know 
when  I  was  to  go  ashore." 

"  And  she  answered  ?" 

"  It  was  some  time  first.  Two  watches  were  past  before 
a  word  was  to  be  seen  ;  at  last  I  got  the  lines.  I  believed 
she  mocked  me,  though  I  have  never  dared  show  it  to  my 
master,  that  he  might  say." 

"  Hast  the  words  here  ? — perhaps  we  might  assist  thee, 
as  there  are  some  among  us  who  know  most  of  the  sea- 
paths." 

The  boy  looked  timidly  and  suspiciously  around ;  then 
thrusting  a  hand  hurriedly  into  a  pocket,  he  drew  forth 
two  bits  of  paper,  each  of  which  contained  a  scrawl,  and 
both  of  which  had  evidently  been  much  thumbed  and 
studied. 

"Here, "he  said  in  a  voice  that  was  nearly  suppressed 
to  a  whisper.  "This  was  on  the  first  page.  I  was  so 
frightened  lest  the  lady  should  be  angry  that  I  did  not  look 
again  until  the  next  watch  ;  and  then,"  turning  the  leaf, 
"  I  found  this." 

Ludlow  took  the  bit  of  paper  first  offered,  and  read, 
written  in  a  child's  hand,  the  following  extract  : 

I  pray  thee 

Remember,  I  have  done  thee  worthy  service  ; 
Told  thee  no  lies,  made  no  mistakings,  served 
Without  or  grudge  or  grumblings. 

"I  thought  that  'twas  in  mockery,"  continued  the  boy, 
when  he  saw  by  the  eye  of  the  young  Captain  that  he  had 
read  the  quotation  :  "  for  it  was  very  like,  though  more 
prettily  worded,  than  that  which  I  had  said  myself  !  " 

"  And  what  was  the  second  answer  ?  " 

"  This  was  found  in  the  first  morning  watch,"  the  child 
returned,  reading  the  second  extract  himself  : 

Thou  think' st 

It  much  to  tread  the  ooze  of  the  salt  deep, 
And  run  upon  the  sharp  wind  of  the  north  ! 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  145 

"  I  never  dared  to  ask  again.  But  what  matters  that  ? 
They  say,  the  ground  is  rough  and  difficult  to  walk  on  ; 
that  earthquakes  shake  it  and  make  holes  to  swallow  cities  ; 
men  slay  each  other  on  the  highways  for  money,  and  that 
the  house  I  see  on  the  hills  must  always  remain  in  the 
same  spot.  It  must  be  very  melancholy  to  live  always  in 
the  same  spot  ;  but  then  it  must  be  odd  never  to  feel  a 
motion  !  " 

"  Except  the  occasional  rocking  of  an  earthquake.  Thou 
art  better  afloat,  child  ;  but  thy  master,  this  Skimmer  of 
the  Seas — 

"  Hist !  "  whispered  the  boy,  raising  a  finger  for  silence. 
"  He  has  come  up  into  the  great  cabin.  In  a  moment  we 
shall  have  his  signal  to  enter." 

A  few  light  touches  on  the  strings  of  a  guitar  followed, 
and  then  a  symphony  was  rapidly  and  beautifully  executed, 
by  one  in  the  adjoining  apartment. 

"  Alida,  herself,  is  not  more  nimble-fingered,"  whispered 
the  Alderman ;  "  and  I  never  heard  the  girl  touch  the 
Dutch  lute  that  cost  a  hundred  Holland  guilders  with  a 
livelier  movement  ! " 

Ludlow  signed  for  silence.  A  fine,  manly  voice,  of 
great  richness  and  depth,  was  soon  heard,  singing  to  an 
accompaniment  on  the  same  instrument.  The  air  was 
grave,  and  altogether  unusual  for  the  social  character  of 
one  who  dwelt  upon  the  ocean,  being  chiefly  in  recitative. 
The  words,  as  near  as  might  be  distinguished,  ran  as  fol 
lows  : 

My  brigantine ! 
Just  in  thy  mould,  and  beauteous  in  thy  form, 

Gentle  in  roll,  and  buoyant  on  the  surge, 
Light  as  the  sea-fowl,  rocking  in  the  storm, 
In  breeze  and  gale,  thy  onward  course  we  urge, 
My  Water-Queen ! 

Lady  of  mine  ! 
More  light  and  swift  than  thou,  none  thread  the  sea, 

With  surer  keel,  or  steadier  on  its  path  : 
We  brave  each  waste  of  ocean-mystery, 

And  laugh  to  hear  the  howling  tempest's  wrath  ! 
For  we  are  thine  ! 

My  brigantine  ! 
Trust  to  the  mystic  power  that  points  thy  way, 

Trust  to  the  eye  that  pierces  from  afar, 
Trust  the  red  meteors  that  around  thee  play 
And  fearless  trust  the  sea-green  lady's  star ; 
Thou  bark  divine ! 

10 


146  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

"He  often  sings  thus,"  whispered  the  boy,  when  the 
song  was  ended  ;  "  they  say  the  sea-green  lady  loves  music 
that  tells  of  the  ocean,  and  of  her  power.  Hark  !  he  has 
bid  me  enter." 

"  He  did  but  touch  the  strings  of  the  guitar  again,  boy." 

"Tis  his  signal,  when  the  weather  is  fair.  When  we 
have  the  whistlings  of  the  wind  and  the  roar  of  the  water, 
then  he  has  a  louder  call." 

Ludlow  would  have  gladly  listened  longer ;  but  the  boy 
opened  a  door,  and,  pointing  the  way  to  those  he  con 
ducted,  he  silently  vanished,  himself,  behind  a  curtain. 

The  visitors,  more  particularly  the  young  commander  of 
the  Coquette,  found  new  subjects  of  admiration  and  won 
der  on  entering  the  main  cabin  of  the  brigantine.  The 
apartment,  considering  the  size  of  the  vessel,  was  spacious 
and  high.  It  received  light  from  a  couple  of  windows  in 
the  stern  and  it  was  evident  that  two  smaller  rooms,  one 
on  each  of  the  quarters,  shared  with  it  in  this  advantage. 
The  space  between  these  state-rooms,  as  they  are  called  in 
nautical  language,  necessarily  formed  a  deep  alcove,  which 
might  be  separated  from  the  outer  portion  of  the  cabin  by 
a  curtain  of  damask,  that  now  hung  in  festoons  from  a 
beam  fashioned  into  a  gilded  cornice.  A  luxurious-look 
ing  pile  of  cushions,  covered  with  red  morocco,  lay  along 
the  transom,  in  the  manner  of  an  eastern  divan  ;  and 
against  the  bulkhead  of  the  state-room  stood  an  agrippina 
of  mahogany,  that  was  lined  with  the  same  material. 
Neat  and  tasteful  cases  for  books  were  suspended  here  and 
there  ;  and  the  guitar  which  had  so  lately  been  .used,  lay 
on  a  small  table  of  some  precious  wood,  that  occupied  the 
centre  of  the  alcove.  There  were  also  other  impiements, 
like  those  which  occupy  the  leisure  of  a  cultivated  but 
perhaps  an  effeminate  rather  than  a  vigorous  mind,  scat 
tered  around,  some  evidently  long  neglected,  and  others 
appearing  to  have  been  more  recently  in  favor. 

The  outer  portion  of  the  cabin  was  furnished  in  a  simi 
lar  style,  though  it  contained  many  more  of  the  articles 
that  ordinarily  belong  to  domestic  economy.  It  had  its 
agrippina,  its  piles  of  cushions,  its  chairs  of  beautiful 
wood,  its  cases  for  books,  and  its  neglected  instruments, 
intermixed  with  fixtures  of  more  solid  and  permanent  ap 
pearance,  which  were  arranged  to  meet  the  violent  motion 
that  was  often  unavoidable  in  so  small  a  bark. 

There  was  a  slight  hanging  of  crimson  damask  around 


THE   WATER- WITCH.  147 

the  whole  apartment;  and,  here  and  there,  a  small  mirror 
was  let  into  the  bulkheads  and  ceilings.  All  the  other 
parts  were  of  rich  mahogany,  relieved  by  panels  of  rose 
wood,  that  gave  an  appearance  of  exquisite  finish  to  the 
cabin.  The  floor  was  covered  with  a  mat  of  the  finest 
texture,  and  of  a  fragrance  that  announced  both  its  fresh 
ness  and  the  fact  that  the  grass  had  been  the  growth  of  a 
warm  and  luxurious  climate.  The  place,  as  was  indeed 
the  whole  vessel,  so  far  as  the  keen  eye  of  Ludlow  could 
detect,  was  entirely  destitute  of  arms,  not  even  a  pistol  or 
a  sword  being  suspended  in  those  places  where  weapons 
of  that  description  are  usually  seen  in  all  vessels  employed 
either  in  war  or  in  a  trade  that  might  oblige  those  who  sail 
them  to  deal  in  violence. 

In  the  centre  of  the  alcove  stood  the  youthful-looking 
and  extraordinary  person  who,  in  so  unceremonious  a  man 
ner,  had  visited  la  Cour  des  Fees  the  preceding  night. 
His  dress  was  much  the  same,  in  fashion  and  material,  as 
when  last  seen  ;  still,  it  had  been  changed  ;  for  on  the 
breast  of  the  silken  frock  was  painted  an  image  of  the  sea- 
green  lady,  done  with  exquisite  skill,  and  in  a  manner  to 
preserve  the  whole  of  the  wild  and  unearthly  character  of 
the  expression.  The  wearer  of  this  singular  ornament 
leaned  lightly  against  the  little  table,  and  as  he  bowred  with 
entire  self-possession  to  his  guests,  his  face  lighted  with 
a  smile  that  seemed  to  betray  melancholy,  no  less  than 
courtesy.  At  the  same  time  he  raised  his  cap,  and  stood 
in  the  rich,  jet-black  locks  with  which  nature  had  so 
exuberantly  shaded  his  forehead. 

The  manner  of  the  visitors  \vas  less  easy.  The  deep 
anxiety  with  which  both  Ludlow  and  the  Patroon  had 
undertaken  to  board  the  notorious  smuggler  had  given 
place  to  an  amazement  and  a  curiosity  that  caused  them 
nearly  to  forget  their  errand  ;  while  Alderman  Van  Bever- 
out  appeared  shy  and  suspicious,  manifestly  thinking  less 
of  his  niece  than  of  the  consequences  of  so  remarkable  an 
interview.  They  all  returned  the  salutation  of  their  host, 
though  each  one  waited  for  him  to  speak. 

"They  tell  me  I  have  the  pleasure  to  receive  a  com 
mander  of  Queen  Anne's  service,  the  wealthy  and  honor 
able  Patroon  of  Kinderhook,  and  a  most  worthy  and 
respectable  member  of  the  city  corporation,  known  as 
Alderman  Van  Beverout,"  commenced  the  individual  who 
did  the  honors  of  the  vessel  on  this  occasion.  "It  is  not 


148  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

often  that  my  poor  brigantine  is  thus  favored,  and,  in  the 
name  of  my  mistress,  I  would  express  our  thanks." 

As  he  ceased  speaking,  he  bowed  again  with  ceremoni 
ous  gravity,  as  if  all  were  equally  strangers  to  him  ;  though 
the  young  men  saw  plainly  that  a  smothered  smile  played 
about  a  mouth  that  even  they  could  not  refuse  the  praise 
of  being  of  rare  and  extraordinary  attraction. 

"  As  we  have  but  one  mistress,"  said  Ludlow,  "  it  is  our 
common  duty  to  wish  to  do  her  pleasure." 

"  I  understand  you,  sir.  It  is  scarce  necessary  to  say, 
however,  that  the  wife  of  George  of  Denmark  has  little 
authority  here.  Forbear,  I  pray  you,"  he  added  quickly, 
observing  that  Ludlow  was  about  to  answer.  "  These  in 
terviews  with  the  servants  of  that  lady  are  not  unfrequent ; 
and  as  I  know  other  matters  have  sent  you  hither,  we  will 
imagine  all  said  that  a  vigilant  officer  and  a  most  loyal 
subject  could  utter  to  an  outlaw  and  a  trifler  with  the 
regulations  of  the  customs.  That  controversy  must  be 
settled  between  us  under  our  canvas,  and  by  virtue  of  our 
speed,  or  other  professional  qualities,  at  proper  time  and 
in  a  proper  place.  We  will  now  touch  on  different  mat 
ters." 

"  I  think  the  gentleman  is  right,  Patroon.  When  matters 
are  ripe  for  the  exchequer  there  is  no  use  in  worrying  the 
lungs  with  summing  up  the  testimony,  like  a  feed  advo 
cate.  Twelve  discreet  men,  who  have  bowels  of  compas 
sion  for  the  vicissitudes  of  trade,  and  who  know  how  hard 
it  is  to  earn  and  how  easy  it  is  to  spend,  will  deal  with  the 
subject  better  than  all  the  idle  talkers  in  the  Provinces." 

"  When  confronted  to  the  twelve  disinterested  Daniels,  I 
shall  be  fain  to  submit  to  their  judgment,"  rejoined  the 
other,  still  suffering  the  wilful  smile  to  linger  round  his 
lips.  "You,  sir,  I  think,  are  called  Mr.  Myndert  Van 
Beverout.  To  what  fall  in  peltry,  or  what  rise  in  markets, 
do  I  owe  the  honor  of  this  visit  ?" 

"  It  is  said  that  some  from  this  vessel  were  so  bold  as  to 
land  on  my  grounds,  during  the  past  night,  without  the 
knowledge  and  consent  of  their  owner — you  will  observe 
the  purport  of  our  conversation,  Mr.  Van  Staats,  for  it  may 
yet  come  before  the  authorities — as  I  said,  sir,  without 
their  owner's  knowledge,  and  that  there  were  dealings  in 
articles  that  are  contraband  of  law  unless  they  enter  the 
provinces  purified  and  embellished  by  the  air  of  the 
Queen's  European  dominions — God  bless  her  Majesty ! " 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  149 

"  Amen.  That  which  quitteth  the  Water-Witch  com 
monly  comes  purified  by  the  air  of  many  different  regions. 
We  are  no  laggards  in  movement,  here  ;  and  the  winds  of 
Europe  scarcely  cease  to  blow  upon  our  sails  before  we 
scent  the  gales  of  America.  But  this  is  rather  exchequer 
matter,  to  be  discussed  before  the  twelve  merciful  burgh 
ers,  than  entertainment  for  such  a  visit." 

"  I  open  with  the  facts,  that  there  maybe  no  errors.  But 
in  addition  to  so  foul  an  imputation  on  the  credit  of  a  mer 
chant  there  has  a  great  calamity  befallen  me  and  my  house 
hold  during  the  past  night.  The  daughter  and  heiress  of 
old  Etienne  de  Barberie  has  left  her  abode,  and  we  have 
reason  to  believe  that  she  has  been  deluded  so  far  as  to 
come  hither.  Faith  and  correspondence  !  Master  Seadrift  ; 
but  I  think  this  is  exceeding  the  compass  of  even  a  trader 
in  contraband  !  I  can  make  allowance  for  some  errors  in 
an  account ;  but  women  can  be  exported  and  imported 
without  duty,  and  when  and  where  one  pleases,  and,  there 
fore,  the  less  necessity  for  running  them  out  of  their  old 
uncle's  habitation  in  so  secret  a  manner." 

"An  undeniable  position,  and  a  feeling  conclusion  !  I 
admit  the  demand  to  be  made  in  all  form,  and  I  suppose 
these  two  gentlemen  are  to  be  considered  as  witnesses 
of  its  legality." 

"  We  have  come  to  aid  a  wronged  and  distressed  relative 
and  guardian  in  searching  for  his  misguided  ward,"  Lud- 
low  answered. 

The  freetrader  turned  his  eyes  on  the  Patroon,  who  sig 
nified  his  assent  by  a  silent  bow. 

"  Tis  well,  gentlemen  ;  I  also  admit  the  testimony.  But 
though  in  common  believed  so  worthy  a  subject  for  justice, 
I  have  hitherto  had  but  little  direct  communication  with 
the  blind  deity.  Do  the  authorities  usually  give  credit  to 
these  charges  without  some  evidence  at  least  of  their  truth  ?" 

"Is  it  denied  ?" 

"  You  are  still  in  possession  of  your  senses,  Captain  Lud- 
low,  and  may  freely  use  them.  But  this  is  an  artifice  to 
divert  pursuit.  There  are  other  vessels  besides  the  brigan- 
tine,  and  a  capricious  fair  may  have  sought  a  protector 
even  under  a  pennant  of  Queen  Anne  ! " 

"  This  is  a  truth  that  has  been  but  too  obvious  to  my 
mind,  Mr.  Van  Beverout,"  observed  the  sententious  Pa 
troon.  "  It  would  have  been  well  to  ascertain  whether  she 
we  seek  has  not  taken  some  less  exceptionable  course  than 


150  THE  WATER-WITCH. 

this,  before  we  hastily  believe  that  your  niece  would  so 
easily  become  the  wife  of  a  stranger." 

"  Has  Mr.  Van  Staats  any  hidden  meaning  in  his  words, 
that  he  speaks  ambiguously  ? "  demanded  Ludlow. 

"  A  man,  conscious  of  his  good  intentions,  has  little 
occasion  to  speak  equivocally.  I  believe,  with  this  reputed 
smuggler,  that  la  belle  Barberie  would  be  more  likely  to 
fly  with  one  she  has  long  known,  and  whom  I  fear  she  has 
but  too  well  esteemed,  than  with  an  utter  stranger,  over 
whose  life  there  is  cast  a  shade  of  so  dark  mystery." 

"  If  the  impression  that  the  lady  could  yield  her  esteem 
with  too  little  discretion  be  any  excuse  for  suspicions,  then 
may  I  advise  a  search  in  the  manor  of  Kinderhook  ! " 

"  Consent  and  joy  ?  The  girl  need  not  have  stolen  to 
church  to  become  the  bride  of  Oloff  Van  Staats!  "  inter 
rupted  the  Alderman.  "She  would  have  had  my  bene 
diction  on  the  match,  and  a  fat  gift  to  give  it  unction." 

"These  suspicions  are  but  natural  between  men  bent  on 
the  same  object,"  resumed  the  freetrader.  "The  officerof 
the  Queen  thinks  a  glance  of  the  eye,  from  a  wilful  fair, 
means  admiration  of  broad  lands  and  rich  meadows  ;  and 
the  lord  of  the  manor  distrusts  the  romance  of  warlike  ser 
vice,  and  the  power  of  an  imagination  which  roams  the 
sea.  Still  may  I  ask,  what  is  there  here  to  tempt  a  proud 
and  courted  beauty  to  forget  station,  sex  and  friends  ? " 

"  Caprice  and  vanity  !  There  is  no  answering  for  a 
woman's  mind  !  Here  we  bring  articles,  at  great  risk  and 
heavy  charges,  from  the  farther  Indies  to  please  their  fan 
cies,  and  they  change  their  modes  easier  than  the  beaver 
casts  its  coat.  Their  conceits  sadly  unsettle  trade,  and  I 
know  not  why  they  may  not  cause  a  wilful  girl  to  do  any 
other  act  of  folly." 

"  This  reasoning  seems  conclusive  with  the  uncle.  Do 
the  suitors  assent  to  its  justice  ?" 

The  Patroon  of  Kinderhook  had  stood  gazing,  long  and 
earnestly,  at  the  countenance  of  the  extraordinary  being 
who  asked  this  question.  A  movement,  which  bespoke 
equally  his  conviction  and  his  regret,  escaped  him,  but  he 
continued  silent.  Not  so  Ludlow.  Of  a  more  ardent 
temperament,  though  equally  sensible  of  the  temptation 
which  had  caused  Alidato  err,  and  as  keenly  alive  to  all  the 
consequences  to  herself,  as  well  as  to  others,  there  was 
something  of  professional  rivalry  and  of  an  official  right  to 
investigate,  which  still  mingled  with  his  feelings.  He  had 


THE  WATER-WITCH.  151 

found  time  to  examine  more  closely  the  articles  that  the 
cabin  contained,  and  when  their  singular  host  put  his 
question  he  pointed,  with  an  ironical  but  mournful  smile, 
to  a  footstool  richly  wrought  in  flowers  of  tints  and  shades 
so  just  as  to  seem  natural. 

"  This  is  no  work  of  a  sail-maker's  needle  !  "  said  the 
Captain  of  the  Coquette.  "  Other  beauties  have  been  in 
duced  to  pass  an  idle  hour  in  your  gay  residence,  hardy 
mariner  ;  but,  sooner  or  later,  judgment  will  overtake  the 
light-heeled  craft." 

"  On  the  wind,  or  off,  she  must  some  day  lag,  as  we  sea 
men  have  it  !  Captain  Ludlow,  I  excuse  some  harshness 
of  construction  that  your  language  might  imply  ;  for  it 
becomes  a  commissioned  servant  of  the  crown  to  use  free 
dom  with  one  who,  like  the  lawless  companion  of  the 
princely  Hal,  is  but  too  apt  to  propose  to  *  rob  me  the 
king's  exchequer.'  But,  sir,  this  brigantine  and  her  char 
acter  are  little  known  to  you.  We  have  no  need  of  truant 
damsels  to  let  us  into  the  mystery  of  the  sex's  taste  ;  for 
a  female  spirit  guides  all  our  humors,  and  imparts  some 
thing  of  her  delicacy  to  all  our  acts,  even  though  it  be  the 
fashion  among  burghers  to  call  them  lawless.  See," 
throwing  a  curtain  carelessly  aside,  and  exhibiting,  be 
hind  it,  various  articles  of  womanly  employment,  "  here 
are  the  offspring  of  both  pencil  and  needle.  The  sor 
ceress,"  touching  the  image  on  his  breast,  "  will  not  be 
entertained  without  some  deference  to  her  sex." 

"This  affair  must  be  arranged,  I  see,  by  a  compromise," 
observed  the  Alderman.  "  By  your  leave,  gentlemen,  I 
will  make  proposals  in  private  to  this  bold  trader,  who, 
perhaps,  will  listen  to  the  offers  I  have  to  propose." 

"Ah!  This  savors  more  of  the  spirit  of  trade  than  of 
that  of  the  sea-goddess  I  serve,"  cried  the  other,  causing 
his  fingers  to  run  lightly  over  the  strings  of  the  guitar. 
"  Compromise  and  offers  are  sounds  that  become  a  burgh 
er's  lips.  My  tricksy  spirit,  commit  these  gentlemen  to 
the  care  of  bold  Thomas  Tiller,  while  I  confer  with  the 
merchant.  The  character  of  Mr.  Van  Beverout,  Captain 
Ludlow,  will  protect  us  both  from  the  suspicions  of  any 
designs  on  the  revenue  !" 

Laughing  at  his  own  allusion,  the  freetrader  signed  to 
the  boy,  who  had  appeared  from  behind  a  curtain,  to  show 
the  disappointed  suitors  of  la  belle  Barberie  into  another 
part  of  the  vessel 


152  THE   WATER- WITCH. 

"  Foul  tongues  and  calumnies  !  Master  Seadrift,  this  un 
lawful  manner  of  playing  round  business,  after  accounts 
are  settled  and  receipts  passed,  may  lead  to  other  loss  be 
sides  that  of  character.  The  commander  of  the  Coquette 
is  not  more  than  half  satisfied  of  my  ignorance  of  your 
misdoings  in  behalf  of  the  customs,  already  ;  and  these 
jokes  are  like  so  many  punches  into  a  smouldering  fire  on 
a  dark  night.  They  only  give  light,  and  cause  people  to  see 
the  clearer — though,  Heaven  knows,  no  man  has  less  rea 
son  to  dread  an  inquiry  into  his  affairs  than  myself !  I 
challenge  the  best  accountant  in  the  colonies  to  detect  a 
false  footing,  or  a  doubtful  entry  in  any  book  I  have, 
from  the  memorandum  to  the  ledger." 

"  The  Proverbs  are  not  more  sententious,  nor  the  Psalms 
half  as  poetical,  as  your  library.  But  why  this  secret  par 
ley  ?  The  brigantine  has  a  swept  hold." 

"  Swept  !  Brooms  and  Van  Tromp  !  Thou  hast  swept 
the  pavilion  of  my  niece — of  its  mistress,  no  less  than  my 
purse  of  its  Johannes.  This  is  carrying  a  little  innocent 
barter  into  a  most  forbidden  commerce,  and  I  hope  the 
joke  is  to  end  before  the  affair  gets  to  be  sweetening  to 
the  tea  of  the  Province  gossips  !  Such  a  tale  would  affect 
the  autumn  importation  of  sugars  !" 

"  This  is  more  vivid  than  clear.  You  have  my  laces  and 
velvets  ;  my  brocades  and  satins  are  already  in  the  hands 
of  the  Manhattan  dames  ;  and  your  furs  and  Johannes  are 
safe  where  no  boarding  officer  from  the  Coquette " 

"  Well,  there  is  no  need  of  speaking-trumpets,  to  tell  a 
man  what  he  knows  already,  to  his  cost !  I  should  expect 
no  less  than  bankruptcy  from  two  or  three  such  bargains, 
and  you  wish  to  add  loss  of  character  to  loss  of  gold. 
Bulkheads  have  ears  in  a  ship,  as  well  as  walls  in  houses. 
I  wish  no  more  said  of  the  trifling  traffic  that  has  been 
between  us.  If  I  lose  a  thousand  florins  by  the  operation 
I  shall  know  how  to  be  resigned.  Patience  and  afflictions! 
Have  I  not  buried  as  full-fed  and  promising  a  gelding 
this  morning  as  ever  paced  a  pavement,  and  has  any  man 
heard  a  complaint  from  my  lips  ?  I  know  how  to  meet 
losses,  I  hope  ;  and  so  no  more  of  an  unlucky  purchase." 

"  Truly,  if  it  be  not  for  trade,  there  is  little  in  common 
between  the  mariners  of  the  brigantine  and  Alderman  Van 
Beverout." 

"  The  greater  the  necessity  thou  shouldst  end  this  silly 
joke,  and  restore  his  niece.  I  am  not  sure  the  affair  can 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  153 

be  at  all  settled  with  either  of  these  hot-headed  young 
men  though  I  should  even  offer  to  throw  in  a  few  thou 
sands  more,  by  way  of  make-weight.  When  a  female  repu 
tation  gets  a  bad  name  in  the  market,  'tis  harder  to  dispose 
of  than  falling  stock  ;  and  your  young  lords  of  manors 
and  commanders  of  cruisers  have  stomachs  like  usurers  ; 
no  percentage  will  satisfy  them  ;  it  must  be  all  or  nothing. 
There  was  no  such  foolery  in  the  days  of  thy  worthy 
father  !  The  honest  trafficker  brought  his  cutter  into  port 
with  as  innocent  a  look  as  a  mill-boat  We  had  our  dis 
courses  on  the  qualities  of  his  wares,  when  here  was  his 
price,  and  there  was  my  gold.  Odd  or  even  !  It  was  all  a 
chance  which  had  the  best  of  the  bargain.  I  was  a  thriv 
ing  man  in  those  days,  Master  Seadrift  ;  but  thy  spirit 
seems  the  spirit  of  extortion  itself  !  " 

There  \vas  momentarily  contempt  on  the  lip  of  the  hand 
some  smuggler,  but  it  disappeared  in  an  expression  of  evi 
dent  and  painful  sadness. 

"  Thou  hast  softened  my  heart  ere  now,  most  liberal 
burgher,"  he  answered,  "by  these  allusions  to  my  parent  ; 
and  many  is  the  doubloon  that  I  have  paid  for  his  eulo 
gies." 

"  I  speak  as  disinterestedly  as  a  parson  preaches  !  What 
is  a  trifle  of  gold  between  friends  ?  Yes,  there  was  happi 
ness  in  trade  during  the  time  of  thy  predecessor.  He  had 
a  comely  and  a  deceptive  craft,  that  might  be  likened  to 
an  untrimmed  racer.  There  was  motion  in  it,  at  need,  and 
yet  it  had  the  air  of  a  leisurely  Amsterdammer.  I  have 
known  an  exchequer  cruiser  hail  him,  and  ask  the  news  of 
the  famous  freetrader,  with  as  little  suspicion  as  he  would 
have  in  speaking  the  Lord  High-Admiral.  There  were  no 
fooleries  in  his  time  ;  no  unseemly  hussies  stuck  under  his 
bowsprit,  to  put  an  honest  man  out  of  countenance  ;  no 
high-flyers  in  sail  and  paint  ;  no  singing  and  luting — but 
all  was  rational  and  gainful  barter.  Then  he  was  a  man 
to  ballast  his  boat  with  something  valuable.  I  have  known 
him  to  throw  in  fifty  ankers  of  gin,  without  a  farthing  for 
freight,  when  a  bargain  has  been  struck  for  the  finer  arti 
cles — aye,  and  finish  by  landing  them  in  England,  for  a 
small  premium,  when  the  gift  was  made  !  " 

"  He  deserves  thy  praise,  grateful  Alderman  ;  but  to 
what  conclusion  does  this  opening  tend  ?  " 

"Well,  if  more  gold  must  pass  between  us,"  continued 
the  reluctant  Myndert,  "  we  shall  not  waste  time  in  count- 


154  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

ing  it ;  though,  Heaven  knows,  Master  Seadrift,  thou  hast 
already  drained  me  dry.  Losses  have  fallen  heavy  on  me 
of  late.  There  is  a  gelding  dead,  that  fifty  Holland  ducats 
will  not  replace  on  the  boom-key  of  Rotterdam,  to  say 
nothing  of  freight  and  charges,  which  come  particularly 
heavy " 

"  Speak  to  thy  offer!  "  interrupted  the  other,  who  evi 
dently  wished  to  shorten  the  interview. 

"  Restore  the  girl,  and  take  five-and-twenty  thin  pieces." 

"  Half-price  for  a  Flemish  gelding !  La  Belle  would  blush 
with  honest  pride  did  she  know  her  value  in  the  market." 

"  Extortion  and  bowels  of  compassion  !  Let  it  be  a  hun 
dred,  and  no  farther  words  between  us." 

"  Hearkee,  Mr.  Van  Beverout  :  that  I  sometimes  tres 
pass  on  the  Queen's  earnings  is  not  to  be  denied,  and  least 
of  all  to  you  ;  for  I  like  neither  this  manner  of  ruling  a 
nation  by  deputy,  nor  the  principle  which  says  one  bit  of 
earth  is  to  make  laws  for  another.  Tis  not  my  humor,  sir, 
to  wear  an  English  cotton  when  my  taste  is  for  the  Floren 
tine  ;  nor  to  swallow  beer,  when  I  more  relish  the  delicate 
wines  of  Gascony.  Beyond  this,  thou  knowest  I  do  not 
trifle,  even  with  fancied  rights  ;  and  had  I  fifty  of  thy 
nieces,  sacks  of  ducats  should  not  purchase  one  !" 

The  Alderman  started  in  a  manner  that  might  have  in 
duced  a  spectator  to  believe  he  wTas  listening  to  an  incom 
prehensible  proposition.  Still  his  companion  spoke  with 
a  warmth  that  gave  him  no  small  reason  to  believe  he  ut 
tered  no  more  than  he  felt,  and,  inexplicable  as  it  might 
prove,  that  he  valued  treasure  less  than  feeling. 

"  Obstinacy  and  extravagance  !  "  muttered  Myndert  ; 
"  what  use  can  a  troublesome  girl  be  to  one  of  thy  habits  ? 
If  thou  hast  deluded " 

"  I  have  deluded  none.  The  brigantine  is  not  an  Alger- 
ine  to  ask  and  take  ransom." 

"  Then  let  it  submit  to  what  I  believe  it  is  yet  a  stranger. 
If  thou  hast  not  enticed  my  niece  away  by,  Heaven  knows, 
a  most  vain  delusion,  let  the  vessel  be  searched.  This  will 
make  the  minds  of  the  young  men  tranquil,  and  keep  the 
treaty  open  between  us,  and  the  value  of  the  article  fixed 
in  the  market." 

"Freely  ;  but  mark  !  If  certain  bales  containing  worth 
less  furs  of  martens  and  beavers  with  other  articles  of  thy 
colony  trade  should  discover  the  character  of  my  corre 
spondents,  I  stand  exonerated  of  all  breach  of  faith." 


THE   WATER- WITCH.  155 

"There  is  prudence  in  that.  Yes,  there  must  be  no  im 
pertinent  eyes  peeping  into  bales  and  packages.  Well,  I 
see,  Master  Seadrift,  the  impossibility  of  immediately  com 
ing  to  an  understanding  ;  and  therefore,  I  will  quit  thy  ves 
sel,  for  truly  a  merchant  of  reputation  should  have  no  un 
necessary  connection  with  one  so  suspected." 

The  freetrader  smiled,  partly  in  scorn,  and  yet  much  in 
sadness,  and  passed  his  fingers  over  the  string  of  the  guitar. 

"  Show  this  worthy  burgher  to  his  friend,  Zephyr,"  he 
said  ;  and,  bowing  to  the  Alderman,  he  dismissed  him  in  a 
manner  that  betrayed  a  singular  compound  of  feeling. 
One  quick  to  discover  the  traces  of  human  passion,  might 
have  fancied  that  regret  and  even  sorrow  were  blended 
with  the  natural  or  assumed  recklessness  of  the  smuggler's 
air  and  language. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

This  will  prove  a  brave  kingdom  to  me  ; 

Where  I  shall  have  my  music  for  nothing. — Tempest. 

DURING  the  time  passed  in  the  secret  conference  of 
the  cabin,  Ludlow  and  the  Patroon  were  held  in  discourse  on 
the  quarter-deck  by  the  hero  of  the  India  shawl.  The 
dialogue  was  professional,  as  Van  Staats  maintained  his 
ancient  reputation  for  taciturnity.  The  appearance  of 
Myndert,  thoughtful,  disappointed,  and  most  evidently 
perplexed,  caused  the  ideas  of  all  to  take  a  new  direction. 
It  is  probable  that  the  burgher  believed  he  had  not  yet 
bid  enough  to  tempt  the  freetrader  to  restore  his  niece; 
for  by  his  air  it  was  apparent  his  mind  was  far  from  being 
satisfied  that  she  was  not  in  the  vessel.  Still,  when  ques 
tioned  by  his  companions  concerning  the  result  of  his  in 
terview  with  the  freetrader,  for  reasons  best  understood 
by  himself,  he  wTas  fain  to  answer  evasively. 

"  Of  one  thing  rest  satisfied,"  he  said  ;  "the  misconcep 
tion  in  this  affair  will  yet  be  explained,  and  Alida  Barberie 
return  unfettered,  and  with  a  character  as  free  from  blem 
ish  as  the  credit  of  the  Van  Stoppers  of  Holland.  The 
fanciful-looking  person  in  the  cabin  denies  that  my  niece 
is  here,  and  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  the  balance  of 
truth  is  on  his  side.  I  confess,  if  one  could  just  look  into 
the  cabin,  without  the  trouble  of  rummaging  lockers  and 


156  THE   IV ATER- WITCH. 

cargo,  the  statement  would  give  more  satisfaction  ;  but — 
hem — gentlemen,  we  must  take  the  assertion  on  credit, 
for  want  of  more  sufficient  security." 

Ludlow  looked  at  the  cloud  above  the  mouth  of  the 
Raritan,  and  his  lip  curled  in  a  smile. 

"Let  the  wind  hold  here,  at  east,"  he  said,  "and  we 
shall  act  our  pleasure  with  both  lockers  and  cabins." 

"  Hist !  the  worthy  Master  Tiller  may  overhear  this 
threat  ;  after  all,  I  do  not  know  whether  prudence  does 
not  tell  us  to  let  the  brigantine  depart." 

" Mr.  Alderman  Van  Beverout,"  rejoined  the  Captain, 
whose  cheek  had  reddened  to  a  glow,  "  my  duty  must  not 
be  gauged  by  your  affection  for  your  niece.  Though  con 
tent  that  Alida  Barberie  should  quit  the  country,  like  an 
article  of  vulgar  commerce,  the  commander  oftthis  vessel 
must  get  a  passport  of  Her  Majesty's  cruiser  ere  she 
again  enter  the  high  sea." 

"Wilt  say  as  much  to  the  sea-green  lady  ?"  asked  the 
mariner  of  the  shawl,  suddenly  appearing  at  his  elbow. 

The  question  was  so  unexpected  and  so  strange  that  it 
caused  an  involuntary  start  ;  but,  recovering  his  recollec 
tion  on  the  instant,  the  young  sailor  haughtily  replied  — 

"Or  to  any  other  monster  thou  canst  conjure." 

"  We  will  take  you  at  the  word.  There  is  no  more  cer 
tain  method  of  knowing  the  past  or  the  future,  the  quarter 
of  the  heavens  from  which  the  winds  are  to  come,  or  the 
season  of  the  hurricanes  than  by  putting  a  question  to  our 
mistress.  She  who  knows  so  much  of  hidden  matters  may 
tell  us  what  you  wish  to  know.  We  will  have  her  called  by 
the  usual  summons." 

Thus  saying,  the  mariner  of  the  shawl  gravely  quitted 
his  guests,  and  descended  into  the  inferior  cabins  of  the 
vessel.  It  was  but  a  moment  before  there  arose  sounds 
from  some  secret  though  not  distant  quarter  of  the 
brigantine,  that  caused,  in  some  measure,  both  surprise 
and  pleasure  to  Ludlow  and  the  Patroon.  Their  compan 
ion  had  his  motives  for  being  insensible  to  either  of  these 
emotions. 

After  a  short  and  rapid  symphony,  a  wind-instrument 
took  up  a  wild  strain,  while  a  human  voice  was  again 
heard,  chanting  to  the  music  words  which  were  so  much 
involved  by  the  composition  of  the  air  as  to  render  it  im 
possible  to  trace  more  than  that  their  burden  was  a  sort  of 
mysterious  incantation  of  some  ocean  deity. 


THE   WATER- WITCH.  157 

"  Squeaking  and  flutes  !  "  grumbled  Myndert,  ere  the  last 
sounds  were  fairly  ended.  "  This  is  downright  heathenish  ; 
and  a  plain-dealing  man,  who  does  business  above-board, 
has  good  reason  to  wish  himself  honestly  at  church.  What 
have  we  to  do  with  land-witches,  or  water-witches,  or  any 
other  witchcraft,  that  we  stay  in  the  brigantine,  now  it  is 
known  that  my  niece  is  not  to  be  found  aboard  her  ;  and, 
moreover,  even  admitting  that  wre  were  disposed  to  traffic, 
the  craft  has  nothing  in  her  that  a  man  in  Manhattan 
should  want.  The  deepest  bog  of  thy  manor,  Patroon,  is 
safer  ground  to  tread  on  than  the  deck  of  a  vessel  that  has 
got  a  reputation  like  that  of  this  craft." 

The  scenes  of  which  he  was  a  witness  had  produced  their 
effect  on  Van  Staats  of  Kinderhook.  Of  a  slow  imagina 
tion  but  of  a  powerful  and  vast  frame,  he  was  not  easily 
excited,  either  to  indulge  in  fanciful  images,  or  to  suffer 
personal  apprehension.  Only  a  few  years  had  passed 
since  men,  who  in  other  respects  were  enlightened,  firmly 
believed  in  the  existence  of  supernatural  agencies  in  the 
control  of  the  affairs  of  this  life ;  and  though  the  New 
Netherlander  had  escaped  the  infatuation  which  prevailed 
so  generally  in  the  religious  provinces  of  New  England,  a 
credulous  superstition,  of  a  less  active  quality,  possessed 
the  minds  of  the  most  intelligent  of  the  Dutch  colonists, 
and  even  of  their  descendants  so  lately  as  in  our  own  times. 
The  art  of  divination  was  particularly  in  favor  ;  and  it 
rarely  happened,  that  any  inexplicable  event  affected  the 
fortunes  or  comforts  of  the  good  provincialists  without 
their  having  recourse  to  some  one  of  the  more  renowned 
fortune-tellers  of  the  country,  for  an  explanation.  Men  of 
slow  faculties  love  strong  excitement,  because  they  are  in 
sensible  to  less  powerful  impulses,  as  men  of  hard  heads 
find  most  enjoyment  in  strong  liquors.  The  Patroon  was 
altogether  of  the  sluggish  cast ;  and  to  him  there  was  con 
sequently  a  secret  but  deep  pleasure  in  his  present  situa 
tion. 

"What  important  results  may  flow  from  this  adventure, 
we  know  not,  Mr.  Alderman  Van  Beverout,"  returned 
Oloff  Van  Staats  ;  "and- 1  confess  a  desire  to  see  and  hear 
more,  before  we  land.  This  Skimmer  of  the  Seas  is  alto 
gether  a  different  man  from  what  our  rumors  in  the  city 
have  reported  ;  and,  by  remaining,  we  may  set  public 
opinion  nearer  to  the  truth.  I  have  heard  my  late  vener 
able  aunt " 


158  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

"  Chimney-corners  and  traditions  !  The  good  lady  was 
no  bad  customer  of  these  gentry,  Patroon  ;  and  it  is  lucky 
that  they  got  no  more  of  thy  inheritance,  in  the  way  of 
fees.  You  see  the  Lust  in  Rust  against  the  mountain 
there  ;  well,  all  that  is  meant  for  the  public  is  on  the  out 
side,  and  all  that  is  intended  for  my  own  private  gratifica 
tion  is  kept  within  doors.  But  here  is  Captain  Ludlow, 
who  has  matters  of  the  Queen  on  his  hands,  and  the  gen 
tleman  will  find  it  disloyal  to  waste  the  moments  in  this 
juggling." 

"  I  confess  the  same  desire  to  witness  the  end,"  dryly 
returned  the  commander  of  the  Coquette.  "  The  state  of 
the  wind  prevents  any  immediate  change  in  the  positions 
of  the  two  vessels  ;  and  why  not  get  a  farther  insight  into 
the  extraordinary  character  of  those  who  belong  to  the 
brigantine  ?" 

"Aye,  there  it  is!"  muttered  the  Alderman  between  his 
teeth.  "Your  insights  and  outsights  lead  to  all  the 
troubles  of  life.  One  is  never  snug  with  these  fantastics, 
which  trifle  with  a  secret,  like  a  fly  fluttering  round  a 
candle,  until  his  wings  get  burned." 

As  his  companions  seemed  resolved  to  stay,  however, 
there  remained  no  alternative  for  the  burgher  but  patience. 
Although  apprehension  of  some  indiscreet  exposure  was 
certainly  the  feeling  uppermost  in  his  mind,  he  was 
not  entirely  without  some  of  the  weakness  which  caused 
Oloff  Van  Staats  to  listen  and  to  gaze  with  so  much 
obvious  interest  and  secret  awe.  Even  Ludlow,  himself, 
felt  more  affected  than  he  would  have  willingly  owned,  by 
the  extraordinary  situation  in  which  he  was  placed.  No 
man  is  entirely  insensible  to  the  influence  of  sympathy, 
let  it  exert  its  power  in  what  manner  it  will.  Of  this  the 
young  sailor  was  the  more  conscious  through  the  effect 
that  was  produced  on  himself  by  the  grave  exterior  and 
attentive  manner  of  all  the  mariners  of  the  brigantine.  He 
was  a  seaman  of  no  mean  accomplishments  ;  and,  among 
other  attainments  that  properly  distinguish  men  of  his 
profession,  he  had  learned  to  know  the  country  of  a  sailor 
by  those  general  and  distinctive  marks  which  form  the 
principal  difference  between  men  whose  common  pursuit 
has  in  so  great  a  degree  created  a  common  character. 

Intelligence,  at  that  day,  was  confined  to  narrow  limits 
among  those  who  dwelt  on  the  ocean.  Even  the  officer 
was  but  too  apt  to  be  one  of  rude  and  boisterous  manners, 


THE   WATEg- WITCH.  159 

of  limited  acquirements,  and  of  deep  and  obstinate  prej 
udices.  No  wonder,  then,  that  the  common  man  was,  in 
general,  ignorant  of  most  of  those  opinions  which  grad 
ually  enlighten  society.  Ludlow  had  seen,  on  entering  the 
vessel,  that  her  crew  was  composed  of  men  of  different 
countries.  Age  and  personal  character  seemed  to  have 
been  more  consulted,  in  their  selection,  than  national  dis 
tinctions.  There  was  a  Finlander,  with  a  credulous  and 
oval  physiognomy,  sturdy  but  short  frame,  and  a  light, 
vacant  eye  ;  and  a  dark-skinned  seaman  of  the  Mediter 
ranean,  whose  classical  outline  of  feature  was  often  dis 
turbed  by  uneasy  and  sensitive  glances  at  the  horizon. 
These  two  men  had  come  and  placed  themselves  near  the 
group  on  the  quarter-deck,  when  the  last  music  was  heard  ; 
and  Ludlow  had  ascribed  the  circumstance  to  a  sensibility 
to  melody,  when  the  child  Zephyr  stole  to  their  side,  in  a 
manner  to  show  that  more  was  meant  by  the  movement 
than  was  apparent  in  the  action  itself.  The  appearance  of 
Tiller,  who  invited  the  party  to  re-enter  the  cabin  explained 
its.  meaning,  by  showing  that  these  men,  like  themselves, 
had  business  with  the  being,  who,  it  was  pretended,  had 
so  great  an  agency  in  controlling  the  fortunes  of  the  brig- 
antine. 

The  party,  who  now  passed  into  the  little  anteroom,  was 
governed  by  very  different  sensations.  The  curiosity  of 
Ludlow  was  lively,  fearless,  and  a  little  mingled  with  an  in 
terest  that  might  be  termed  professional  ;  while  that  of  his 
two  companions  was  not  without  some  inward  reverence 
for  the  mysterious  power  of  the  sorceress.  The  two  sea 
men  manifested  dull  dependence,  while  the  boy  exhibited, 
in  his  ingenuous  and  half  terrified  countenance,  most  une 
quivocally  the  influence  of  childish  awe.  The  mariner  of 
the  shawl  was  grave,  silent,  and,  what  was  unusual,  in  his 
deportment  respectful.  After  a  moment's  delay,  the  door 
of  the  inner  apartment  was  opened  by  Seadrift  himself, 
and  he  signed  for  the  whole  to  enter. 

A  material  change  had  been  made  in  the  arrangement 
of  the  principal  cabin.  The  light  was  entirely  excluded 
from  the  stern,  and  the  crimson  curtain  had  been  lowered 
before  the  alcove.  A  small  window,  whose  effect  was  to 
throw  a  dim  obscurity  within,  had  been  opened  in  the 
side.  The  objects  on  which  its  light  fell  strongest  received 
a  soft  coloring  from  the  hues  of  the  hangings. 

The  freetrader  received  his  guests  with  a  chastened  air, 


160  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

bowing  silently;  arid  with  less  of  levity  in  his  mien  than 
in  the  former  interview.  Still  Ludlow  thought  there  lin 
gered  a  forced  but  sad  smile  about  his  handsome  mouth  ; 
and  the  Patroon  gazed  at  his  fine  features  with  the  admi 
ration  that  one  might  feel  for  the  most  favored  of  those 
who  were  believed  to  minister  at  some  supernatural 
shrine.  The  feelings  of  the  Alderman  were  exhibited 
only  by  some  half-suppressed  murmurs  of  discontent,  that 
from  time  to  time  escaped  him,  notwithstanding  a  certain 
degree  of  reverence,  that  was  gradually  prevailing  over 
his  ill-concealed  dissatisfaction. 

"They  tell  me  you  would  speak  with  our  mistress,"  said 
the  principal  personage  of  the  vessel,  in  a  subdued  voice. 
"  There  are  others,  too,  it  would  seem,  who  wish  to  seek 
counsel  from  her  wisdom.  It  is  now  many  months  since 
we  have  had  direct  converse  with  her,  though  the  book  is 
ever  open  to  all  applicants  for  knowledge.  You  have 
nerves  for  the  meeting  ?" 

"  Her  Majesty's  enemies  have  never  reproached  me  with 
their  want,"  returned  Ludlow,  smiling  incredulously. 
"  Proceed  with  your  incantations  that  we  may  know." 

"We  are  not  necromancers,  sir,  but  faithful  mariners, 
who  do  their  mistress's  pleasure.  I  know  that  you  are 
skeptical  ;  but  bolder  men  have  confessed  their  mistakes 
with  less  testimony.  Hist !  we  are  not  alone.  I  hear  the 
opening  and  shutting  of  the  brigantine's  transoms." 

The  speaker  then  fell  back  nearly  to  the  line  in  which 
the  others  had  ranged  themselves,  and  awaited  the  result 
in  silence.  The  curtain  rose  to  a  low  air  on  the  same 
wind  instrument  ;  and  even  Ludlow  felt  an  emotion  more 
powerful  than  interest,  as  he  gazed  on  the  object  that  was 
revealed  to  view. 

A  female  form  attired,  as  near  as  might  be,  like  the  fig 
ure-head  of  the  vessel,  and  standing  in  a  similar  attitude, 
occupied  the  centre  of  the  alcove.  As  in  the  image,  one 
hand  held  a  book  with  its  page  turned  toward  the  specta 
tors,  while  a  finger  of  the  other  pointed  ahead,  as  if  giving 
to  the  brigantine  its  course.  The  sea-green  drapery  was 
floating  behind  as  if  it  felt  the  influence  of  the  air  ;  and 
the  face  had  the  same  dark  and  unearthly  hue,  with  its 
malign  and  remarkable  smile. 

When  the  start  and  the  first  gaze  of  astonishment  were 
over  the  Alderman  and  his  companion  glanced  their  eyes 
at  each  other  in  wonder.  The  smile  in  the  look  of  the 


THE   WATER-WTFCtf.  161 


freetrader  became  less  hidden,  am^g^Lptytook  of  tri 
umph. 

"  If  any  here  has  aught  to  say  to  the  lady  of  our  bark, 
let  him  now  declare  it.  She  has  come  far,  at  our  call,  and 
will  not  tarry  long." 

"  I  would  then  know,"  said  Ludlow,  drawing  a  heavy 
breath,  like  one  recovering  from  some  sudden  and  power 
ful  sensation,  "  if  she  I  seek  be  within  the  brigantine?" 

He  who  acted  the  part  of  mediator  in  this  extraordinary 
ceremony,  bowed  and  advanced  to  the  book,  which,  with 
an  air  of  deep  reverence,  he  consulted,  reading,  or  appear 
ing  to  read,  from  its  pages. 

"You  are  asked  here,  in  return  for  that  you  inquire,  if 
she  you  seek  is  sought  in  sincerity  ? " 

Ludlow  reddened  ;  the  manliness  of  the  profession  to 
which  he  belonged,  however,  overcame  the  reluctance 
natural  to  self-esteem  ;  and  he  answered,  firmly — 

"She  is." 

"  But  you  are  a  mariner  ;  men  of  the  sea  place  their  af 
fections,  often,  on  the  fabric  in  which  they  dwell.  Is  the 
attachment  for  her  whom  you  seek  stronger  than  love  of 
wandering,  of  your  ship,  your  youthful  expectations,  and 
the  glory  that  forms  a  young  soldier's  dreams  ?" 

The  commander  of  the  Coquette  hesitated.  After  a  mo 
ment  of  pause,  like  that  of  self-examination,  he  said — 

"  As  much  so  as  may  become  a  man." 

A  cloud  crossed  the  brow  of  his  interrogator,  who  ad 
vanced  and  again  consulted  the  pages  of  the  book. 

"You  are  required  to  say,  if  a  recent  event  has  not  dis 
turbed  your  confidence  in  her  you  seek?" 

"  Disturbed — but  not  destroyed." 

The  sea-green  lady  moved,  and  the  pages  of  the  mys 
terious  volume  trembled,  as  if  eager  to  deliver  their  oracles. 

"And  could  you  repress  curiosity,  pride,  and  all  the 
other  sentiments  of  your  sex,  and  seek  her  favor,  with 
out  asking  explanation,  as  before  the  occurrence  of  late 
events  ?" 

"  I  would  do  much  to  gain  a  kind  look  from  Alida  de 
Barberie  ;  but  the  degraded  spirit,  of  which  you  speak, 
would  render  me  unworthy  of  her  esteem.  If  I  found  her 
as  I  lost  her,  my  life  should  be  devoted  to  her  happiness  ; 
if  not,  to  mourning  that  one  so  fair  should  have  fallen  ! " 

"  Have  you  ever  felt  jealousy  ?" 

"First  let  me  know  if  I  have  cause!"   cried  the  young 


162  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

man,  advancing  a  step  toward  the  motionless  form,  with  an 
evident  intent  to  look  closer  into  its  character. 

The  hand  of  the  manner  of  the  shawl  arrested  him  with 
the  strength  of  a  giant. 

"None  trespass  on  the  respect  due  our  mistress,"  coolly 
observed  the  vigorous  seaman,  while  he  motioned  to  the 
other  to  retreat. 

A  fierce  glance  shot  from  his  eye  ;  and  then  the  recollec 
tion  of  his  present  helplessness  came,  in  season,  to  restrain 
the  resentment  of  the  offended  officer. 

"  Have  you  ever  felt  jealousy?"  continued  his  undis 
turbed  interrogator. 

"  Would  any  love  that  had  not  ?  " 

A  gentle  respiration  was  heard  in  the  cabin,  during  the 
short  pause  that  succeeded,  though  none  could  tell  whence 
it  came.  The  Alderman  turned  to  regard  the  Patroon,  as 
if  he  believed  the  sigh  was  his  ;  while  the  startled  Ludlow 
looked  curiously  around  him,  at  a  loss  to  know  who  ac 
knowledged,  with  so  much  sensibility,  the  truth  of  his 
reply. 

"Your  answers  are  well,"  resumed  the  freetrader,  after 
a  pause  longer  than  usual.  Then,  turning  to  Oloff  Van 
Staats,  he  said,  "Whom,  or  what,  do  you  seek  ?" 

"  We  come  on  a  common  errand." 

"And  do  you  seek  in  all  sincerity  ?" 

"  I  could  wish  to  find." 

"  You  are  rich  in  lands  and  houses  ;  is  she  you  seek  dear 
to  you  as  this  wealth  ? " 

"  I  esteem  them  both,  since  one  could  not  wish  to  tie  a 
woman  he  admired  to  beggary." 

The  Alderman  hemmed  so  loud  as  to  fill  the  cabin,  and 
then,  startled  at  his  own  interruption,  he  involuntarily 
bowed  an  apology  to  the  motionless  form  in  the  alcove,  and 
regained  his  composure. 

"There  is  more  of  prudence  than  of  ardor  in  your  an 
swer.  Have  you  ever  felt  jealousy  ?  " 

"  That  has  he  !  "  eagerly  exclaimed  Myndert.  "  I've 
known  the  gentleman  raving  as  a  bear  that  has  lost  its  cub, 
when  my  niece  has  smiled,  in  church,  for  instance,  though 
it  were  only  in  answer  to  a  nod  from  an  old  lady.  Philos 
ophy  and  composure,  Patroon  !  Who  the  devil  knows  but 
Alida  may  hear  of  this  questioning  ?  and  then  her  French 
blood  will  boil,  to  find  that  your  love  has  always  gone  as 
regularly  as  a  town-clock." 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  163 

"  Could  you  receive  her  without  inquiring  into  past 
events  ? " 

"  That  would  he — that  would  he  !  "  returned  the  Alder 
man.  "  I  answer  for  it,  that  Mr.  Van  Staats  complies  with 
all  engagements  as  punctually  as  the  best  house  in  Amster 
dam  itself." 

The  book  again  trembled,  but  it  was  with  a  waving  and 
dissatisfied  motion. 

"What  is  thy  will  with  our  mistress  ?"  demanded  the 
freetrader,  of  the  fair-haired  sailor. 

"  I  have  bargained  with  some  of  the  dealers  of  my  coun 
try  for  a  wind  to  carry  the  brigantine  through  the  in 
let." 

"  Go.  The  Water-Witch  will  sail  when  there  is  need  ; 
and  you  ? " 

"  I  wish  to  know  whether  a  few  skins  I  bought  last  night, 
for  a  private  venture,  will  turn  to  good  account  ?  " 

"  Trust  the  sea-green  lady  for  your  profits.  When  did 
she  ever  let  any  fail  in  a  bargain  !  Child,  what  has  brought 
thee  hither  ?" 

The  boy  trembled,  and  a  little  time  elapsed  before  he 
found  resolution  to  answer. 

"They  tell  me  it  is  so  queer  to  be  upon  the  land  ! " 

"  Sirrah  !  thou  hast  been  answered.  When  others  go, 
thou  shalt  go  with  them." 

"  They  say  'tis  pleasant  to  taste  the  fruits  "rom  off  the 
very  trees " 

"  Thou  art  answered.  Gentlemen,  our  mistress  departs. 
She  knows  that  one  among  you  has  threatened  her  favor 
ite  brigantine  with  the  anger  of  an  earthly  queen  ;  but  it 
is  beneath  her  office  to  reply  to  threats  so  idle.  Hark  !  her 
attendants  are  in  waiting." 

The  wind  instrument  was  once  more  heard,  and  the  cur 
tain  slowly  fell  to  its  strains.  A  sudden  and  violent  noise, 
resembling  the  opening  and  shutting  of  some  massive  door, 
succeeded — then  all  was  still.  When  the  sorceress  had  dis 
appeared,  the  freetrader  resumed  his  former  ease  of  man 
ner,  seeming  to  speak  and  act  more  naturally.  Alderman 
Van  Beverout  drew  a  long  breath,  like  one  relieved  ;  and 
even  the  mariner  of  the  gay  shawl  stood  in  an  easier  and 
more  reckless  attitude  than  while  in  her  presence.  The 
two  seamen  and  the  child  withdrew. 

"  Few  who  wear  that  livery  have  ever  before  seen  the 
lady  of  our  brigantine,"  continued  the  freetrader,  address- 


164  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

ing  himself  to  Ludlow  ;  "and  it  is  proof  that  she  has  less 
aversion  to  your  cruiser  than  she  in  common  feels  to  most 
of  the  long  pennants  that  are  abroad  on  the  water." 

"  Thy  mistress,  thy  vessel,  and  thyself,are  alike  amusing  !" 
returned  the  young  seaman,  again  smiling  incredulously, 
and  with  some  little  official  pride.  "  It  will  be  well,  if  you 
maintain  this  pleasantry  much  longer,  at  the  expense  of 
her  Majesty's  customs." 

"  We  trust  to  the  power  of  the  Water-Witch.  She  has 
adopted  our  brigantine  as  her  abode,  given  it  her  name, 
and  guides  it  with  her  hand.  'Twould  be  weak  to  doubt, 
when  thus  protected." 

"  There  may  be  occasion  to  try  her  virtues.  Were  she 
a  spirit  of  the  deep  waters,  her  robe  would  be  blue. 
Nothing  of  a  light  draught  can  escape  the  Coquette  ! " 

"  Dost  not  know  that  the  color  of  the  sea  differs  in  dif 
ferent  climes  ?  We  fear  not,  but  you  would  have  answers 
to  your  questions.  Honest  Tiller  will  carry  you  all  to  the 
land,  and,  in  passing,  the  book  may  again  be  consulted. 
I  doubt  not  she  will  leave  us  some  farther  memorial  of 
her  visit." 

The  freetrader  then  bowed,  and  retired  behind  the  cur 
tain,  with  the  air  of  a  sovereign  dismissing  his  visitors  from 
an  audience  ;  though  his  eye  glanced  curiously  behind 
him,  as  he  dic'  ppeared,  as  if  to  trace  the  effect  which  had 
been  produc'v*  by  the  interview.  Alderman  Van  Bever- 
out  and  his  ftriends  were  in  the  boat  again,  before  a  sylla 
ble  was  exchanged  between  them.  They  had  followed  the 
mariner  of  the  shawl,  in  obedience  to  his  signal  ;  and  they 
quitted  the  side  of  the  beautiful  brigantine,  like  men  who 
pondered  on  what  they  had  just  witnessed. 

Enough  has  been  betrayed,  in  the  course  of  the  narra 
tive,  perhaps,  to  show  that  Ludlow  distrusted,  though  he 
could  not  avoid  wondering  at  what  he  had  seen.  He  was 
not  entirely  free  from  the  superstition  that  was  then  so 
common  among  seamen  ;  but  his  education  and  native 
good  sense  enabled  him  in  a  great  measure  to  extricate  his 
imagination  from  that  love  of  "the  marvellous  which  is  more 
or  less  common  to  all.  He  had  fifty  conjectures  concern 
ing  the  meaning  of  what  had  passed,  and  not  one  of  them 
was  true  ;  though  each,  at  the  instant,  seemed  to  appease 
his  curiosity,  while  it  quickened  his  resolution  to  pry  far 
ther  into  the  affair.  As  for  the  Patroon  of  Kinderhook, 
the  present  day  was  one  of  rare  and  unequalled  pleasure. 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  165 

He  had  all  the  gratification  which  strong  excitement  can 
produce  in  slow  natures  ;  and  he  neither  wished  a  solution 
of  his  doubts,  nor  contemplated  any  investigation  that 
might  destroy  so  agreeable  an  illusion.  His  fancy  was 
full  of  the  dark  countenance  of  the  sorceress ;  and  when 
it  did  not  dwell  on  a  subject  so  unnatural,  it  saw  the  hand 
some  features,  ambiguous  smile,  and  attractive  air,  of  her 
scarcely  less  admirable  minister. 

As  the  boat  got  to  a  little  distance  from  the  vessel,  Tiller 
stood  erect,  and  ran  his  eye  complacently  over  the  perfec 
tion  of  her  hull  and  rigging, 

"  Our  mistress  has  equipped  and  sent  upon  the  wide  and 
unbeaten  sea  many  a  bark,"  he  said  ;  "  but  never  a  lovelier 
than  our  own  !  Captain  Ludlow,  there  has  been  some 
double-dealing  between  us  ;  but  that  which  is  to  follow  shall 
depend  on  our  skill,  our  seamanship,  and  our  heels.  You 
serve  Queen  Anne,  and  I  the  sea-green  lady.  Let  each  be 
true  to  his  mistress,  and  Heaven  preserve  the  deserving ! 
Wilt  see  the  book  before  we  make  the  trial  ? " 

Ludlow  intimated  his  assent,  and  the  boat  approached 
the  figure-head.  It  was  impossible  to  prevent  the  feeling 
which  each  of  our  three  adventurers,  not  excepting  the 
Alderman,  felt  when  they  came  in  full  view  of  the  motion 
less  image.  The  mysterious  countenance  appeared  en 
dowed  with  thought,  and  the  malign  smile  seemed  more 
ironical  than  before. 

"The  first  question  was  yours,  and  yours  must  be  the 
first  answered,"  said  Tiller,  motioning  for  Ludlow  to  con 
sult  the  page  which  was  open.  "  Our  mistress  deals 
chiefly  in  verses  from  the  old  writer  whose  thoughts  are 
almost  as  common  to  us  all  as  to  human  nature." 

"  What  means  this  ?"  said  Ludlow,  hastily  : 

She,  Claudio,  that  you  wronged,  look  you  restore  ; 

Love  her,  Angeloj 
I  have  confessed  her,  and  I  know  her  virtue. 

"  These  are  plain  words  ;  but  I  would  rather  that  another" 
priest  should  shrive  her  whom  I  love  ! " 

"  Hist  !  Young  blood  is  swift  and  quickly  heated.  Our 
lady  of  the  bark  will  not  relish  hot  speech  over  her  oracles. 
Come,  Master  Patroon,  turn  the  page  \vith  the  rattan,  and 
see  what  fortune  will  give." 

Oloff  Van  Staats  raised  his  powerful  arm,  with  the  hesi 
tation,  and  yet  with  the  curiosity  of  a  girl.  It  was  easy  to 


1 66  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

read  in  his  eye  the  pleasure  his  heavy  nature  felt  in  the 
excitement ;  yet  it  was  easy  to  detect  the  misgivings  of  an 
erroneous  education,  by  the  seriousness  of  all  the  other 
members  of  his  countenance.  He  read  aloud  : 

I  have  a  motion  much  imports  your  good; 
Whereto,  if  you'll  a  willing  ear  incline, 
What's  mine  is  yours,  and  what  is  yours  is  mine. 
So  bring  us  to  our  palace,  where  we'll  show 
What's  yet' behind,  that's  meet  you  all  should  know. 

— Measzire  for  Measure. 

"  Fair  dealing,  and  fairer  speech  !  '  What's  yours  is 
mine,  and  what  is  mine  is  yours,'  is  Measure  for  Measure, 
truly,  Patroon,"  cried  the  Alderman,  "A  more  equitable 
bargain  cannot  be  made,  when  the  assets  are  of  equal 
value.  Here  is  encouragement  in  good  sooth  ;  and  now, 
Master  Mariner,  we  will  land  and  proceed  to  the  Lust  in 
Rust,  which  must  be  the  place  meant  in  the  verses. 
'What's  yet  behind,'  must  be  Alida,  the  tormenting  bag 
gage  !  who  has  been  playing  hide-and-seek  with  us,  for  no 
other  reason  than  to  satisfy  her  womanish  vanity,  by  show 
ing  how  uncomfortable  she  could  make  three  grave  and 
responsible  men.  Let  the  boat  go,  Master  Tiller,  since 
that  is  thy  name  ;  and  many  thanks  for  thy  civilities." 

"  'Twould  give  grave  offence  to  leave  the  lady,  without 
knowing  all  she  has  to  say.  The  answer  now  concerns 
you,  worthy  Alderman,  and  the  rattan  will  do  its  turn,  in 
your  hand,  as  well  as  in  that  of  another." 

"  I  despise  a  pitiful  curiosity,  and  content  myself  with 
knowing  what  chance  and  good  luck  teach,"  returned 
Myndert.  "  There  are  men  in  Manhattan  ever  prying  into 
their  neighbors'  credit,  like  frogs  lying  with  their  noses 
out  of  water  ;  but  it  is  enough  for  me  to  know  the  state  of 
my  books,  with  some  insight  into  that  of  the  market." 

"  It  will  not  do.  This  may  appease  a  quiet  conscience, 
like  your  own,  sir  ;  but  we  of  the  brigantine  may  not  trifle 
with  our  mistress.  One  touch  of  the  rattan  will  tell  you 
whether  these  visits  to  the  Water-Witch  are  likely  to  prove 
to  your  advantage." 

Myndert  wavered.  It  has  been  said  that,  like  most 
others  of  his  origin  in  the  colony,  he  had  a  secret  leaning 
to  the  art  of  divination  ;  and  the  words  of  the  hero  of  the 
shawl  contained  a  flattering  allusion  to  the  profits  of  his 
secret  commerce.  He  took  the  offered  stick,  and,  by  the 
time  the  page  was  turned,  his  eyes  were  ready  enough  to 


THE   WATER- WITCH.  167 

consult  its  contents.  There  was  but  a  line,  which  was  also 
quoted  as  coming  from  the  well-known  comedy  of  "Meas 
ure  for  Measure." 

Proclaim  it,  provost,  round  about  the  city. 

In  his  eagerness,  Myndert  read  the  oracle  aloud  ;  then 
he  sank  into  his  seat,  affecting  to  laugh  at  the  whole  as  a 
childish  and  vain  conceit. 

"  Proclamation  me  no  proclamations !  Is  it  a  time  of 
hostilities,  or  of  public  danger,  that  one  should  go  shouting 
with  his  tidings  through  the  streets  ?  Measure  for  Measure, 
truly !  Harkee,  Master  Tiller,  this  sea-green  trull  of 
thine  is  no  better  than  she  should  be  ;  and,  unless  she 
mend  her  manner  of  dealing,  no  honest  man  \vill  be  found 
willing  to  be  seen  in  her  company.  I  am  no  believer  in 
necromancy — though  the  inlet  has  certainly  opened  this 
year  altogether  in  an  unusual  manner — and  therefore  I 
put  little  faith  in  her  words  ;  but  as  for  saying  aught  of 
me  or  mine,  in  town  or  country,  Holland  or  America,  that 
can  shake  my  credit,  why,  I  defy  her !  Still,  I  would  not 
willingly  have  any  idle  stories  to  contradict ;  and  I  shall 
conclude  by  saying  you  will  do  well  to  stop  her  mouth." 

"  Stop  a  hurricane,  or  a  tornado  !  Truth  will  come  in 
her  book,  and  he  that  reads  must  expect  to  see  it.  Captain 
Ludlow,  you  are  master  of  your  movements  again ;  for 
the  inlet  is  no  longer  between  you  and  your  cruiser. 
Behind  yon  hillock  is  the  boat  and  crew  you  missed.  The 
latter  expect  you.  And  now,  gentlemen,  we  leave  the  rest 
to  the  green  lady's  guidance,  our  own  good  skill,  and  the 
winds  !  I  salute  you." 

The  moment  his  companions  were  on  the  shore,  the 
hero  of  the  shawl  caused  his  boat  to  quit  it ;  and,  in  less 
than  five  minutes,  it  was  swinging  by  its  tackles  at  the 
stern  of  the  brigantine. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

Like  Arion  on  the  dolphin's  back, 
I  saw  him  hold  acquaintance  with  the  waves, 
So  long  as  I  could  see. — Tempest. 

THERE  was  one  curious  but  half-confounded  observer  of 
all  that  passed  in  and  around  the  Cove  on  the  morning  in 
question.  This  personage  was  no  other  than  the  slave 


168  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

called  Bonnie,  who  was  the  factotum  of  his  master,  over 
the  demesnes  of  the  Lust  of  Rust,  during  the  time  when 
the  presence  of  the  Alderman  was  required  in  the  city  ; 
which  was,  in  truth,  at  least  four-fifths  of  the  year.  Re 
sponsibility  and  confidence  had  produced  their  effect  on 
this  negro,  as  on  more  cultivated  mTnds.  He  had  been 
used  to  act  in  situations  of  care  ;  and  practice  had  produced 
a  habit  of  vigilance  and  observation  that  was  not  common 
in  men  of  his  unfortunate  condition.  There  is  no  moral 
truth  more  certain  than  that  men,  when  once  accustomed 
to  this  species  of  domination,  as  readily  submit  their 
minds  as  their  bodies  to  the  control  of  others.  Thus  it  is 
that  we  see  entire  nations  maintaining  so  many  erroneous 
maxims,  merely  because  it  has  suited  the  interests  of  those 
who  do  the  thinking  to  give  forth  these  fallacies  to  their 
followers.  Fortunately,  however,  for  the  improvement  of 
the  race  and  the  advancement  of  truth,  it  is  only  necessary 
to  give  a  man  an  opportunity  to  exercise  his  natural 
faculties  in  order  to  make  him  a  reflecting  and,  in  some 
degree,  an  independent  being.  Such,  though  to  a  very 
limited  extent,  certainly,  had  been  the  consequence  in  the 
instance  of  the  slave  just  mentioned. 

How  far  Bonnie  had  been  concerned  in  the  proceedings 
between  his  master  and  the  mariners  of  the  brigantine  it 
is  unnecessary  to  say.  Little  passed  at  the  villa  of  which 
he  was  ignorant  ;  and  as  curiosity,  once  awakened,  in 
creases  its  own  desire  for  indulgence,  could  he  have  had 
his  wish,  little  would  have  passed  anywhere  near  him, 
without  his  knowing  something  of  its  nature  and  import. 
He  had  seen,  while  seemingly  employed  with  his  hoe  in 
the  garden  of  the  Alderman,  the  trio  conveyed  by  Erasmus 
across  the  inlet ;  had  watched  the  manner  in  which  they 
followed  its  margin  to  the  shade  of  the  oak,  and  had  seen 
them  enter  the  brigantine,  as  related.  That  this  extra 
ordinary  visit  on  board  a  vessel  which  was  in  common 
shrouded  by  so  much  mystery,  had  given  rise  to  much  and 
unusual  reflection  in  the  mind  of  the  black,  was  apparent 
by  the  manner  in  which  he  so  often  paused  in  his  labor, 
and  stood  leaning  on  the  handle  of  his  hoe.  He  had  never 
known  his  master  so  far  overstep  his  usual  caution  as  to 
quit  the  dwelling,  during  the  occasional  visits  of  the  free 
trader  ;  yet  he  had  now  gone  as  it  were  into  the  very  jaws 
of  the  lion,  accompanied  by  the  commander  of  a  royal 
cruiser.  No  wonder,  then,  that  the  vigilance  of  the  negro 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  169 

became  still  more  active,  and  that  not  even  the  slightest 
circumstance  was  suffered  to  escape  his  admiring  eye. 
During  the  whole  time  consumed  by  the  visit  related 
in  the  preceding  chapter,  not  a  minute  had  been  suf 
fered  to  pass  without  an  inquiring  look  in  the  direction 
either  of  the  brigantine  or  the  adjacent  shore. 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say  how  keen  the  attention  of 
the  slave  became,  when  his  master  and  his  companions 
were  seen  to  return  to  the  land.  They  immediately  as 
cended  to  the  foot  of  the  oak,  where  there  was  a  long  and 
apparently  a  serious  conference  between  them.  During 
this  consultation,  the  negro  suffered  his  gaze,  for  an  in 
stant,  to  alter  its  direction.  Indeed  he  scarcely  drew 
breath,  until  the  whole  party  quitted  the  spot  together, 
and  buried  themselves  in  the  thicket  that  covered' the  cape, 
taking  the  direction  of  its  outer  or  northern  extremity,  in 
stead  of  retiring  by  the  shore  of  the  Cove,  toward  the  inlet. 
Then  Bonnie  respired  heavily,  and  began  to  look  about  him 
at  the  other  objects  that  properly  belonged  to  the  interest 
of  the  scene. 

The  brigantine  had  run  up  her  boat,  and  she  now  lay,  as 
when  first  seen,  a  motionless,  beautiful  and  exquisitely 
graceful  fabric,  without  the  smallest  sign  about  her  of  an 
intention  to  move,  or  indeed  without  exhibiting  any  other 
proof,  except  in  her  admirable  order  and  symmetry,  that 
any  of  human  powers  dwelt  within  her  hull.  The  royal 
cruiser,  though  larger  and  of  far  less  aerial  mould  and  fash 
ion,  presented  the  same  picture  of  repose.  The  distance 
between  the  two  was  about  a  league  ;  and  Bonnie  was 
sufficiently  familiar  with  the  formation  of  the  land  and  the 
position  of  the  vessels,  to  be  quite  aware  that  this  inactiv 
ity  on  the  part  of  those  whose  duty  it  was  to  protect  the 
rights  of  the  Queen,  proceeded  from  their  utter  ignorance 
of  the  proximity  of  their  neighbor.  The  thicket  which 
bounded  the  Cove,  and  the  growth  of  oaks  and  pines  that 
stretched  along  the  narrow,  sandy  spit  of  land  quite  to  its 
extremity,  sufficiently  accounted  for  the  fact.  The  negro, 
therefore,  after  gazing  for  several  minutes  at  the  two  im 
movable  vessels,  turned  his  eye  askance  on  the  earth, 
shook  his  head,  and  burst  into  a  laugh,  which  was  so  noisy 
that  it  caused  his  sable  partner  to  thrust  her  vacant  and 
circular  countenance  through  an  open  window  of  the  scul 
lery  of  the  villa,  to  demand  the  reason  of  a  merriment 
that  to  her  faithful  feelings  appeared  to  be  a  little  unsocial. 


170  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

"  Hey  !  you  alway'  keep  'e  queer  t'ing  to  heself,  Bon 
nie!"  cried  the  vixen,  "I'm  werry  glad  to  see  old  bones 
like  a  hoe  ;  an'  I  wonner  dere  ar'  time  to  laugh,  wid'e  gar 
den  full  of  weed  ! " 

"  Grach  !  "  exclaimed  the  negro,  stretching  out  an  arm 
in  a  forensic  attitude  ;  "what  a  black  woman  know  of 
politic  !  If  a  hab  time  to  talk,  better  cook  a  dinner.  Tell 
one  t'ing  Phyllis,  and  that  be  dis  :  vy  'e  ship  of  Captain 
Ludlow  no  life  anchor,  an'  come  take  dis  rogue  in  'e 
Cove  ?  can  a  tell  dat  much,  or  no  ? — if  not,  let  a  man  who 
understan'  heself  laugh  much  as  he  like.  A  little  fun  no 
harm  Queen  Anne  nor  kill  'e  gubbenor  !  " 

"All  work  and  no  sleep  make  old  bones  ache,  Bonnie, 
but!"  returned  the  consort,  "  ten  o'clock — twelve  o'clock 
— tree  o'clock,  and  no  bed  ;  veil  I  see  'e  sun  afore  a  black 
fool  put  'e  head  on  a  pillow !  An'  now  a  hoe  go  all  'e 
same  as  if  he  sleep  a  ten  hour.  Masser  Myn'ert  got  a 
heart,  and  he  no  wish  to  kill  he  people  wid  wrork,  or  old 
Phyllis  war'  dead  fifty  years  next  winter." 

"  I  tink  a  wench's  tongue  nebber  satisfy.  What  for  tell 
a  whole  world  when  Bonnie  go  to  bed  ?  He  sleep  for  he- 
self,  and  he  no  sleep  for  'e  neighborhood  !  Dere  !  A  man 
can't  tin'k  of  eberyt'ing  in  a  minute.  Here  a  ribbon  long 
enough  to  hang  heself — take  him  and  den  remem'er, 
Phyllis,  dat  you  be  'e  wife  of  a  man  who  hab  care  on  his 
shoul'er." 

Bonnie  then  set  up  another  laugh,  in  which  his  partner, 
having  quitted  her  scullery  to  seize  the  gift,  which  in  its 
colors  resembled  the  skin  of  a  garter-snake,  did  not  fail  to 
join  through  mere  excess  of  animal  delight.  The  effect  of 
the  gift,  however,  was  to  leave  the  negro  to  make  his  ob 
servations,  without  any  farther  interruptions  from  one 
who  was  a  little  too  apt  to  disturb  his  solitude. 

A  boat  was  now  seen  to  pull  out  from  among  the  bushes 
that  lined  the  shore  ;  and  Bonnie  was  able  to  distinguish 
in  its  stern-sheets,  the  persons  of  his  master,  Ludlow,  and 
the  Patroon.  He  had  been  acquainted  with  the  seizure  of 
the  Coquette's  barge  the  preceding  night,  and  with  the 
confinement  of  the  crew.  Its  appearance  in  that  place, 
therefore,  occasioned  no  new  surprise.  But  the  time 
which  passed  while  the  men  were  rowing  up  to  the  sloop 
of  war  was  filled  with  minutes  of  increasing  interest.  The 
black  abandoned  his  hoe,  and  took  a  position  on  the  side 
of  the  mountain  that  gave  him  a  view  of  the  whole  bay.  So 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  171 

long  as  the  mysteries  of  the  Lust  in  Rust  had  been  confined 
to  the  ordinary  combinations  of  a  secret  trade,  he  had  been 
fully  able  to  comprehend  them  ;  but  now  that  there  ap 
parently  existed  an  alliance  so  unnatural  as  one  between 
his  master  and  the  cruiser  of  the  crown,  he  felt  the  neces 
sity  of  double  observation  and  of  greater  thought. 

A  far  more  enlightened  mind  than  that  of  the  slave 
might  have  been  excited  by  the  expectation  and  the  ob 
jects  which  now  presented  themselves,  especially  if  suffi 
ciently  prepared  for  events,  by  the  knowledge  of  the  two 
vessels  in  sight.  Though  the  wind  still  hung  at  east,  the 
cloud  above  the  Raritan  at  length  began  to  rise. 

The  broad  fleeces  of  white  vapor,  that  had  lain  the 
whole  morning  over  the  continent  were  rapidly  uniting  ; 
and  they  formed  already  a  dark  and  dense  mass,  that 
floated  in  the  bottom  of  the  estuary,  threatening  shortly  to 
roll  over  the  whole  of  its  wide  waters.  The  air  was  getting 
lighter,  and  variable  ;  and  while  the  wash  of  the  surf 
sounded  still  more  audible,  its  roll  upon  the  beach  was 
less  regular  than  in  the  earlier  hours  of  the  day.  Such 
was  the  state  of  the  two  elements,  when  the  boat  touched 
the  side  of  the  ship.  In  a  minute  it  was  hanging  by  its 
tackles,  high  in  the  air  ;  then  it  disappeared  in  the  bosom 
of  the  dark  mass. 

It  far  exceeded  the  intelligence  of  Bonnie  to  detect,  now, 
any  farther  signs  of  preparation  in  either  of  the  two  vessels 
which  absorbed  the  whole  of  his  attention.  They  appeared 
to  him  to  be  alike  without  motion,  and  equally  without 
people.  There  were,  it  is  true,  a  few  specks  in  the  rigging 
of  the  Coquette,  which  might  be  seen  ;  but  the  distance 
prevented  him  from  being  sure  of  the  fact ;  and  admitting 
them  to  be  seamen  busied  aloft,  there  were  no  visible  con 
sequences  of  their  presence,  that  his  uninstructed  eye 
could  trace.  In  a  minute  or  two,  even  these  scattered 
specks  were  seen  no  longer  ;  though  the  attentive  black 
thought  the  mastheads  and  the  rigging  beneath  the  tops 
thickened,  as  if  surrounded  by  more  than  their  usual  mazes 
of  ropes.  At  that  moment  of  suspense  the  cloud  over  the 
Raritan  emitted  a  flash.  This  seemed  to  be  a  signal  for 
the  cruiser  ;  for  when  the  eye  of  Bonnie,  which  had  been 
directed  toward  the  heavens,  returned  toward  the  ship,  he 
saw  that  she  had  opened  and  hoisted  her  three  topsails, 
seemingly  with  as  little  exertion  as  an  eagle  would  have 
spread  his  wings.  The  ship  now  became  uneasy ;  for  the 


172  THE  WATER-WITCH. 

wind  came  in  puffs,  and  the  vessel  rolled  lightly,  as  if 
struggling  to  extricate  itself  from  the  anchor  ;  and  pre 
cisely  at  the  moment  when  the  shift  of  wind  was  felt,  and 
the  breeze  came  from  the  cloud  in  the  west,  the  cruiser 
whirled  away  from  its  constrained  position,  and  appearing 
for  a  short  space  restless  as  a  steed  that  had  broken 
from  its  fastening,  it  came  up  heavily  to  the  wind,  and  lay 
balanced  by  the  action  of  its  sails.  There  was  another 
minute  or  two  of  seeming  inactivity,  after  which  the  broad 
surfaces  of  the  topsails  were  brought  in  parallel  lines. 
One  white  sheet  was  spread  after  another  upon  the  fabric  ; 
and  Bonnie  saw  that  the  Coquette,  the  swiftest  cruiser  of 
the  crown  in  those  seas,  was  dashing  out  from  the  land 
under  a  cloud  of  canvas. 

All  this  time  the  brigantine  in  the  Cove  lay  quietly  at 
her  anchor.  When  the  wind  shifted,  the  light  hull  swung 
with  its  currents,  and  the  image  of  the  sea-green  lady  was 
seen  offering  her  dark  cheek  to  be  fanned  by  the  breeze. 
But  she  alone  seemed  to  watch  over  the  fortunes  of  her 
followers,  for  no  other  eye  could  be  seen  looking  out  on  the 
danger  that  began  so  seriously  to  threaten  them,  both  from 
the  heavens,  and  from  a  more  certain  and  intelligible  foe. 

As  the  wind  was  fresh,  though  unsteady,  the  Coquette 
moved  through  the  water  with  a  velocity  that  did  no  dis 
credit  to  her  reputation  for  speed.  At  first  it  seemed  to  be 
the  intention  of  the  royal  cruiser  to  round  the  cape,  and 
gain  an  offing  in  the  open  sea,  for  her  head  was  directed 
northwardly  ;  but  no  sooner  had  she  cleared  the  curve  of 
the  little  bight  which,  from  its  shape,  is  known  by  the 
name  of  the  Horse  Shoe,  than  she  was  seen  shooting 
directly  into  the  eye  of  the  wind,  and  falling  off  with 
the  graceful  and  easy  motion  of  a  ship  in  stays,  her 
head  looking  towards  the  Lust  in  Rust.  Her  design  on  the 
notorious  dealer  in  contraband  was  now  too  evident  to  ad 
mit  of  doubt. 

Still,  the  Water- Witch  betrayed  no  symptoms  of  alarm. 
The  meaning  eye  of  the  image  seemed  to  study  the  mo 
tions  of  her  adversary  with  all  the  understanding  of  an 
intelligent  being  ;  and  occasionally  the  brigantine  turned 
slightly  in  the  varying  currents  of  the  air,  as  if  volition 
directed  the  movements  of  the  little  fabric.  These  changes 
resembled  the  quick  and  slight  movements  of  the  hound, 
as  he  lifts  his  head  in  his  lair,  to  listen  to  some  distant 
sound,  or  to  scent  some  passing  taint  in  the  gale. 


THE   WATER- WITCH.  173 

In  the  meantime  the  approach  of  the  ship  was  so  swift 
as  to  cause  the  negro  to  shake  his  head  with  a  meaning 
that  exceeded  even  his  usually  important  look. 

Everything  was  propitious  to  her  progress  ;  and  as  the 
water  of  the  Cove,  during  the  periods  that  the  inlet  re 
mained  open,  was  known  to  be  of  a  sufficient  depth  to  ad 
mit  of  her  entrance,  the  faithful  Bonnie  began  to  anticipate 
a  severe  blow  to  the  future  fortunes  of  his  master.  The 
only  hope  that  he  could  perceive  for  the  escape  of  the 
smuggler,  was  in  the  changes  of  the  heavens. 

Although  the  threatening  cloud  had  now  quitted  the 
mouth  of  the  Raritan,  and  was  rolling  eastward  with  fear 
ful  velocity,  it  had  not  yet  broken.  The  air  had  the  un 
natural  and  heated  appearance  which  precedes  a  gust  ; 
but,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  large  drops,  that  fell  seem 
ingly  from  a  clear  sky,  it  was  as  yet  what  is  called  a  dry 
squall.  The  w^ater  of  the  bay  was  occasionally  dark,  angry, 
and  green  ;  and  there  were  moments  when  it  would  appear 
as  if  heavy  currents  of  air  descended  to  its  surface,  wan 
tonly  to  try  their  power  on  the  sister  element.  Notwith 
standing  these  sinister  omens,  the  Coquette  stood  on  her 
course,  without  lessening  the  wide  surface  of  her  canvas 
by  a  single  inch.  They  who  governed  her  movements  were 
no  men  of  the  lazy  Levant,  nor  of  the  mild  waters  of  the 
Mediterranean,  to  tear  their  hair,  and  call  on  saints  to 
stand  between  their  helplessness  and  harm  ;  but  mariners 
trained  in  a  boisterous  sea,  and  accustomed  to  place  their 
first  dependence  on  their  own  good  manhood,  aided  by  the 
vigilance  and  skill  of  a  long  and  severely  exercised  experi 
ence.  A  hundred  eyes  on  board  that  cruiser  watched  the 
advance  of  the  rolling  cloud,  or  looked  upon  the  play  of 
light  and  shade,  that  caused  the  color  of  the  water  to  vary; 
but  it  was  steadily,  and  with  an  entire  dependence  on  the 
discretion  of  the  young  officer  who  controlled  the  move 
ments  of  the  ship. 

Ludlow  himself  paced  the  deck  with  all  his  usual  com 
posure,  so  far  as  might  be  seen  by  external  signs  ;  though 
in  reality  his  mind  was  agitated  by  feelings  that  were 
foreign  to  the  duties  of  his  station.  He,  too,  had  thrown 
occasional  glances  at  the  approaching  squall,  but  his  eye 
was  far  oftener  riveted  on  the  motionless  brigantine,  which 
was  now  distinctly  to  be  seen  from  the  deck  of  the  Co 
quette,  still  riding  at  her  anchor.  The  cry  of  "  A  stranger 
in  the  Cove  !  "  which  a  few  minutes  before  came  out  of 


174  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

one  of  the  tops,  caused  no  surprise  in  the  commander; 
while  the  crew,  wondering  but  obedient,  began  for  the 
first  time  to  perceive  the  object  of  their  strange  manoeuvres. 
Even  the  officer  next  in  authority  to  the  captain  had  not 
presumed  to  make  any  inquiry,  though  now  that  the  ob 
ject  of  their  search  was  so  evidently  in  view,  he  felt  em 
boldened  to  presume  on  his  rank,  and  to  venture  a  remark. 

"  It  is  a  sweet  craft  !"  said  the  staid  lieutenant,  yielding 
to  an  admiration  natural  to  his  habits,  "  and  one  that  might 
serve  as  a  yacht  for  the  Queen  !  This  is  some  trifler  with 
the  revenue,  or  perhaps  a  buccaneer  from  the  islands. 
The  fellow  shows  no  ensign  !  " 

"Give  him  notice,  sir,  that  he  has  to  do  with  one  who 
bears  the  royal  commission,"  returned  Ludlow,  speaking 
from  habit,  and  half  unconscious  of  what  he  said.  "  We 
must  teach  these  rovers  to  respect  a  pennant." 

The  report  of  a  cannon  startled  the  absent  man,  and 
caused  him  to  remember  the  order. 

"Was  that  gun  shotted  ?"  he  asked,  in  a  tone  that 
sounded  like  rebuke. 

"  Shotted,  but  pointed  wide,  sir  ;  merely  a  broad  hint. 
We  are  no  dealers  in  dumb  show  in  the  Coquette,  Captain 
Ludlow." 

"  I  would  not  injure  the  vessel,  even  should  it  prove  a 
buccaneer.  Be  careful  that  nothing  strikes  her,  without 
an  order." 

"  Aye,  'twill  be  well  to  take  the  beauty  alive,  sir  ;  so 
pretty  a  boat  should  not  be  broken  up,  like  an  old  hulk. 
Ha !  there  goes  his  bunting  at  last !  He  shows  a  white 
field — can  the  fellow  be  a  Frenchman,  after  all  ? " 

The  lieutenant  took  a  glass,  and  fora  moment  applied  it 
to  his  eye  with  the  usual  steadiness.  Then  he  suffered 
the  instrument  to  fall,  and  it  would  seem  that  he  en 
deavored  to  recall  the  different  flags  that  he  had  seen  dur 
ing  the  experience  of  many  years. 

"  This  joker  should  come  from  some  terra  incognita," 
he  said.  "  Here  is  a  woman  in  his  field,  with  an  ugly 
countenance,  too,  unless  the  glass  plays  me  false — as  I 
live,  the  rogue  has  her  counterpart  for  a  figure-head  ! 
Will  you  look  at  the  ladies,  sir  ?  " 

Ludlow  took  the  glass,  and  it  was  not  without  curiosity 
that  he  turned  it  toward  the  colors  the  hardy  smuggler 
dared  to  exhibit  in  presence  of  a  cruiser.  The  vessels 
were,  by  this  time,  sufficiently  near  each  other  to  enable 


THE   WATER- WITCH.  175 

him  to  distinguish  the  swarthy  features  and  malign  smile 
of  the  sea-green  lady,  whose  form  was  wrought  in  the  field 
of  the  ensign,  with  the  same  art  as  that  which  he  had  seen 
so  often  displayed  in  other  parts  of  the  brigantine. 
Amazed  at  the  daring  of  the  freetrader,  he  returned  the 
glass  and  continued  to  pace  the  deck  in  silence.  There 
stood  near  the  two  speakers  an  officer  whose  head  and 
form  began  to  show  the  influence  of  time,  and  who,  from 
his  position,  had  unavoidably  been  an  auditor  of  what 
passed.  Though  the  eye  of  this  person,  who  was  the  sail 
ing-master  of  the  sloop,  was  rarely  off  the  threatening 
cloud,  except  to  glance  along  the  wide  show  of  canvas 
that  was  spread,  he  found  a  moment  to  take  a  look  at  the 
stranger. 

"  A  half-rigged  brig,  with  her  fore-topgallant-mast  fit 
ted  abaft,  a  double  martingale,  and  a  standing  gaff,"  ob 
served  the  methodical  and  technical  mariner,  as  another 
would  have  recounted  the  peculiarities  of  complexion  or 
of  feature  in  some  individual  who  was  the  subject  of  a 
personal  description.  "The  rogue  has  no  need  of  show 
ing  his  brazen-faced  trull  to  be  known  !  I  chased  him  for 
six-and-thirty  hours,  in  the  chops  of  St.  George's,  no  later 
than  the  last  season  ;  and  the  fellowr  ran  about  us  like  a  dol 
phin  playing  under  a  ship's  fore-foot.  We  had  him  now 
on  our  weather  bow,  and  now  crossing  our  course,  and, 
once  in  a  while,  in  our  way,  as  if  he  had  been  a  Mother 
Carey's  chicken  looking  for  our  crumbs.  He  seems  snug 
enough  in  that  cove,  to  be  sure,  yet  I'll  wager  the  pay  of 
any  month  in  the  twelve  that  he  gives  us  the  slip.  Cap 
tain  Ludlow,  the  brigantine  under  our  lee  here,  in  Sper 
maceti,  is  the  well-known  Skimmer  of  the  Seas  !  " 

"  The  Skimmer  of  the  Seas  !  "  echoed  twenty  voices,  in 
a  manner  to  show  the  interest  created  by  the  unexpected 
information. 

"  I'll  swear  to  his  character  before  any  Admiralty  Judge 
in  England,  or  even  in  France,  should  there  be  occasion 
to  go  into  an  outlandish  court — but  no  need  of  an  oath, 
when  here  is  a  written  account  I  took,  with  my  own 
hands,  having  the  chase  in  plain  view,  at  noonday."  While 
speaking,  the  sailing-master  took  a  tobacco-box  from  his 
pocket,  and  removing  a  coil  of  pig-tail,  he  came  to  a  de 
posit  of  memorandums  that  vied  with  the  weed  itself  in 
color.  "  Now,  gentlemen,"  he  continued,  "  you  shall  have 
her  build  as  justly  as  if  the  master-carpenter  had  laid  it 


176  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

down  with  his  rule.  *  Remember  to  bring  a  muff  of  mar 
ten's  fur  from  America,  for  Mrs.  Trysail — buy  it  in  Lon 
don,  and  swear  ' — this  is  not  the  paper — I  let  your  boy, 
Mr.  Luff,  stowaway  the  last  entry  of  tobacco  for  me,  and 
the  young  dog  has  disturbed  every  document  I  own.  This 
is  the  way  the  government  accounts  get  jammed,  when 
Parliament  wants  to  overhaul  them.  But  I  suppose  young 
blood  will  have  its  run  !  I  let  a  monkey  into  a  church 
of  a  Saturday  night  myself,  when  a  youngster,  and  he 
made  such  stowage  of  the  prayer-books  that  the  whole 
parish  was  by  the  ears  for  six  months  ;  and  there  is  one 
quarrel  between  two  old  ladies  that  has  not  been  made  up 
to  this  hour.  Ah!  here  we  have  it:  *  Skimmer  of  the 
Seas.  Full-rigged  forward,  with  fore-and-aft  mainsail 
abaft  ;  a  gaff-topsail,  taut  in  his  spars,  with  light  top-ham 
per  ;  neat  in  his  gear,  as  any  beauty.  Carries  a  ring-tail 
in  light  weather  ;  main-boom  like  a  frigate's  topsail-yard, 
with  a  main-topmast-staysail  as  big  as  a  jib.  Low  in  the 
water,  with  a  woman  figurehead  ;  carries  sail  more  like  a 
devil  than  a  human  being,  and  lies  within  four  and  a  half 
points,  when  jammed  up  hard  on  a  wTind.'  Here  are 
marks  by  which  one  of  Queen  Anne's  maids  of  honor 
might  know  the  rogue  ;  and  there  you  see  them  all,  as 
plainly  as  human  nature  can  show  them  in  a  ship  !  " 

"  The  Skimmer  of  the  Seas  !  "  repeated  the  young  offi 
cers,  who  had  crowded  around  the  veteran  tar,  to  hear  this 
characteristic  description  of  the  notorious  freetrader. 

"  Skimmer  or  flyer,  we  have  him  now,  dead  under  our 
lee,  with  a  sandy  beach  on  three  of  his  sides,  and  the  wind 
in  his  eye  !  "  cried  the  first  lieutenant.  "  You  shall  have 
an  opportunity,  Master  Trysail,  of  correcting  your  account 
by  actual  measurement." 

The  sailing-master  shook  his  head,  like  one  who  doubted, 
and  again  turned  his  eye  on  the  approaching  cloud. 

The  Coquette,  by  this  time,  had  run  so  far  as  to  have 
the  entrance  of  the  Cove  open  ;  and  she  was  separated  from 
her  object  only  by  a  distance  of  a  few  cables'  length.  In 
obedience  to  an  order  given  by  Ludlow,  all  the  light  can 
vas  of  the  ship  was  taken  in,  and  the  vessel  was  left  under 
her  three  topsails  and  jib.  There  remained,  however,  a 
question  as  to  the  channel ;  for  it  was  not  usual  for  ships 
of  the  Coquette's  draught  to  be  seen  in  that  quarter  of  the 
bay,  and  the  threatening  state  of  the  weather  rendered 
caution  doubly  necessary.  The  pilot  shrank  from  a  re- 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  177 

sponsibility  which  did  not  properly  belong  to  his  office, 
since  the  ordinary  navigation  had  no  concern  with  that  se 
cluded  place  ;  and  even  Ludlow,  stimulated  as  he  was  by 
so  many  powerful  motives,  hesitated  to  incur  a  risk  which 
greatly  exceeded  his  duty.  There  was  something  so  re 
markable  in  the  apparent  security  of  the  smuggler,  that  it 
naturally  led  to  the  belief  he  was  certain  of  being  protected 
by  some  known  obstacle,  and  it  was  decided  to  sound  be 
fore  the  ship  was  hazarded.  An  offer  to  carry  the  free 
trader  with  the  boats,  though  plausible  in  itself,  and  per 
haps  the  wisest  course  of  all,  was  rejected  by  the  commander, 
on  an  evasive  plea  of  its  being  an  uncertain  issue,  though, 
in  truth,  because  he  felt  an  interest  in  one  whom  he  believed 
the  brigantine  to  contain,  which  entirely  forbade  the  idea 
of  making  the  vessel  the  scene  of  so  violent  a  struggle.  A 
yawl  was  therefore  lowered  into  the  wTater,  the  main-topsail 
of  the  ship  was  thrown  to  the  mast,  and  Ludlow  himself, 
accompanied  by  the  pilot  and  the  master,  proceeded  to  as 
certain  the  best  approach  to  the  smuggler.  A  flash  of 
lightning,  with  one  of  those  thunder-claps  that  are  wont  to 
be  more  terrific  on  this  continent  than  in  the  other  hemi 
sphere,  warned  the  young  mariner  of  the  necessity  of  haste, 
if  he  would  regain  his  ship  before  the  cloud,  which  still 
threatened  them,  should  reach  the  spot  where  she  lay.  The 
boat  pulled  briskly  into  the  Cove,  both  the  master  and 
pilot  sounding  on  each  side,  as  fast  as  the  leads  could  be 
cast  from  their  hands  and  recovered. 

"This  will  do,"  said  Ludlow,  when  they  had  ascertained 
that  they  could  enter.  "  I  would  lay  the  ship  as  close  as 
possible  to  the  brigantine,  for  I  distrust  her  quiet.  We  will 
go  nearer." 

"  A  brazen  witch,  and  one  whose  saucy  eye  and  pert  fig 
ure  might  lead  any  honest  mariner  into  contraband,  or 
even  into  a  sea-robbery !  "  half  whispered  Trysail,  perhaps 
afraid  to  trust  his  voice  within  hearing  of  a  creature  that 
seemed  almost  endowed  with  the  faculties  of  life.  "  Aye, 
this  is  the  hussy !  I  know  her  by  the  book  and  her  gre'en 
jacket !  But  where  are  her  people  ?  The  vessel  is  as  quiet 
as  the  royal  vault  on  a  coronation  day,  when  the  last  king 
and  those  who  went  before  him  commonly  have  the  place 
to  themselves.  Here  would  be  a  pretty  occasion  to  throw 
a  boat's  crew  on  her  decks,  and  haul  down  yon  impudent 
ensign,  which  bears  the  likeness  of  this  wicked  lady  so 

bravely  in  the  air,  if " 

12 


178  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

"  If  what  ? "  asked  Ludlow,  struck  with  the  plausible 
character  of  the  proposal. 

"  Why,  if  one  were  sure  of  the  nature  of  such  a  minx, 
sir  ;  for  to  own  the  truth,  I  would  rather  deal  with  a  reg 
ularly-built  Frenchman,  who  showed  his  guns  honestly, 
and  kept  such  a  jabbering  aboard  that  one  might  tell  his 
bearings  in  the  dark.  The  creature  spoke  !  " 

Ludlow  did  not  reply,  for  a  heavy  crash  of  thunder  suc 
ceeded  the  vivid  glow  of  a  flash  of  lightning,  and  glared  so 
suddenly  across  the  swarthy  lineaments  as  to  draw  the  in 
voluntary  exclamation  from  Trysail.  The  intimation  that 
came  from  the  cloud  was  not  to  be  disregarded.  The 
wind,  which  had  so  long  varied,  began  to  be  heard  in  the 
rigging  of  the  silent  brigantine  ;  and  the  two  elements  ex 
hibited  unequivocal  evidence,  in  their  menacing  and  fitful 
colors,  of  the  near  approach  of  the  gust.  The  young 
sailor,  with  an  absorbing  interest,  turned  his  eyes  on  his 
ship.  The  yards  were  on  the  caps,  the  bellying  canvas 
was  fluttering  far  to  leeward,  and  twenty  or  thirty  human 
forms  on  each  spar  showed  that  the  nimble-fingered  top- 
men  were  gathering  in  and  knotting  sails  down  to  a  close 
reef. 

"  Give  way,  men,  for  your  lives  ! "  cried  the  excited 
Ludlow. 

A  single  dash  of  the  oars  was  heard,  and  the  yawl  was 
already  twenty  feet  from  the  mysterious  image.  Then  fol 
lowed  a  desperate  struggle  to  regain  the  cruiser,  ere  the 
gust  should  strike  her.  The  sullen  murmur  of  the  wind, 
rushing  through  the  rigging  of  the  ship,  was  audible  some 
time  before  they  reached  her  side  ;  and  the  struggles  be 
tween  the  fabric  and  the  elements  were  at  moments  so 
violent  as  to  cause  the  young  commander  to  fear  he  would 
be  too  late. 

The  foot  of  Ludlow  touched  the  deck  of  the  Coquette 
at  the  instant  the  weight  of  the  squall  fell  upon  her  sails. 
He  no  longer  thought  of  any  interest  but  that  of  the  mo 
ment  ;  with  all  the  feelings  of  a  seaman,  his  mind  was  now 
full  of  his  ship. 

"Let  run  everything  !"  shouted  the  ready  officer,  in  a 
voice  that  made  itself  heard  above  the  roar  of  the  wind. 
"  Clue  down,  and  hand !  Away  aloft,  you  topmen  !  lay  out ! 
furl  away ! " 

These  orders  were  given  in  rapid  succession,  and  without 
a  trumpet,  for  the  young  man  could,  at  need,  speak  loud 


THE   WATER-WITCIL  179 

as  the  tempest.  They  were  succeeded  by  one  of  those  ex 
citing  and  fearful  minutes  that  are  so  familiar  to  mariners. 
Each  man  was  intent  on  his  duty,  while  the  elements 
worked  their  will  around  him  as  madly  as  if  the  hand  by 
which  they  are  ordinarily  restrained  was  forever  removed. 
The  bay  was  a  sheet  of  foam,  while  the  rushing  of  the  gust 
resembled  the  dull  rumbling  of  a  thousand  chariots.  The 
ship  yielded  to  the  pressure,  until  the  water  was  seen  gush 
ing  through  her  lee-scuppers,  and  her  tall  line  of  masts  in 
clined  toward  the  plane  of  the  bay,  as  if  the  ends  of  the 
yards  were  about  to  dip  into  the  water.  But  this  wras  no 
more  than  the  first  submission  to  the  shock.  The  well- 
moulded  fabric  recovered  its  balance,  and  struggled  through 
its  element,  as  if  conscious  that  there  was  security  only  in 
motion.  Ludlovv  glanced  his  eye  to  leeward.  The  open 
ing  of  the  Cove  was  favorably  situated,  and  he  caught  a 
glimpse  of  the  spars  of  the  brigantine,  rocking  violently 
in  the  squall.  He  spoke  to  demand  if  the  anchors  were 
clear  ;  then  he  was  heard,  shouting  again  from  his  station 
in  the  weather  gangway  : 

"  Hard  a- weather  !  " 

The  first  eiforts  of  the  cruiser  to  obey  her  helm,  stripped 
as  she  was  of  canvas,  were  labored  and  slow.  But  when 
her  head  began  to  fall  off,  the  driving  scud  was  scarce 
swifter  than  her  motion.  At  that  moment,  the  sluices  of 
the  cloud  opened,  and  a  torrent  of  rain  mingled  in  the  up 
roar,  and  added  to  the  confusion.  Nothing  was  now  visi 
ble  but  the  lines  of  falling  water,  and  the  sheet  of  white 
foam  through  which  the  ship  was  glancing. 

"  Here  is  the  land,  sir!"  bellowed  Trysail,  from  a  cat 
head,  where  he  stood  resembling  some  venerable  sea-god, 
dripping  with  his  native  element.  "We  are  passing  it 
like  a  race-horse." 

"See  your  bowers  clear!"  shouted  back  the  Captain. 

"  Ready,  sir,  ready  !  " 

Ludlow  motioned  to  the  men  at  the  wheel  to  bring  the 
ship  to  the  wind  ;  and  when  her  way  was  sufficiently  dead 
ened,  two  ponderous  anchors  dropped,  at  another  signal, 
into  the  water.  The  vast  fabric  was  not  checked  without 
a  farther  and  tremendous  struggle.  When  the  bows  felt 
the  restraint,  the  ship  swung  head  to  wind,  and  fathom 
after  fathom  of  the  enormous  ropes  was  extracted  by 
surges  so  violent  as  to  cause  the  hull  to  quiver  to  its  centre. 
But  the  first  lieutenant  and  Trvsail  were  no  novices  in 


I  So  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

their  duty,  and  in  less  than  a  minute  they  had  secured  the 
vessel  steadily  at  her  anchors.  When  this  important  ser 
vice  was  performed,  officers  and  crew  stood  looking  at  each 
other  like  men  who  had  just  made  a  hazardous  and  fearful 
experiment.  The  view  again  opened,  and  objects  on  the 
land  became  visible  through  the  still  falling  rain.  The 
change  was  like  that  from  night  to  day.  Men  who  had 
passed  their  lives  on  the  sea  drew  long  and  relieving 
breaths,  conscious  that  the  danger  was  happily  passed. 
As  the  more  pressing  interest  of  their  own  situation  abated, 
they  remembered  the  object  of  their  search.  All  eyes  were 
turned  in  quest  of  the  smuggler;  but,  by  some  inexplicable 
means,  he  had  disappeared. 

"The  Skimmer  of  the  Seas!"  and  "What  has  become 
of  the  brigantine  ?"  were  exclamations  that  the  discipline 
of  a  royal  cruiser  could  not  repress.  They  were  repeated 
by  a  hundred  mouths,  while  twice  as  many  eyes  sought  to 
find  the  beautiful  fabric.  All  looked  in  vain.  The  spot 
where  the  Water-Witch  had  so  lately  lain  was  vacant,  and 
no  vestige  of  her  wreck  lined  the  shores  of  the  Cove. 
During  the  time  the  ship  was  handing  her  sails,  and  pre 
paring  to  enter  the  Cove,  no  one  had  leisure  to  look  for 
the  stranger  ;  and  after  the  vessel  had  anchored,  until  that 
moment,  it  was  not  possible  to  see  her  length  on  any  side 
of  them. 

There  was  still  a  dense  mass  of  falling  water  moving 
seaward  ;  but  the  curious  and  anxious  eyes  of  Ludlow 
made  fruitless  efforts  to  penetrate  its  secrets.  Once,  in 
deed,  more  than  an  hour  after  the  gust  had  reached  his 
own  ship,  and  when  the  ocean  in  the  offing  was  clear  and 
calm,  he  thought  he  could  distinguish,  far  to  seaward,  the 
delicate  tracery  of  a  vessel's  spars,  drawn  against  the  hori 
zon,  without  any  canvas  set.  But  a  second  look  did  not 
assure  him  of  the  truth  of  the  conjecture. 

There  were  many  extraordinary  tales  related  that  night 
on  board  her  Britannic  Majesty's  ship  Coquette.  The 
boatswain  affirmed  that,  while  piping  below  in  order  to 
overhaul  the  cables,  he  had  heard  a  screaming  in  the  air 
that  sounded  as  if  a  hundred  devils  were  mocking  him, 
and  which  he  told  the  gunner  in  confidence  he  believed 
was  no  more  than  the  winding  of  a  call  on  board  the  brig 
antine,  who  had  taken  occasion,  when  other  vessels  were 
glad  to  anchor,  to  get  under  way  in  her  own  fashion. 
There  was  also  a  fore-topman  named  Robert  Yarn,  a  fellow 


THE   WATER- WITCH.  181 

0 

whose  faculty  for  story-telling  equalled  that  of  Scheher 
azade,  and  who  not  only  asserted,  but  who  confirmed  the 
declaration  by  many  strange  oaths,  that  while  he  lay  on 
the  lee  fore-topsail  yard-arm,  stretching  forth  an  arm  to 
grasp  the  leech  of  the  sail,  a  dark-looking  female  fluttered 
over  his  head,  and  caused  her  long  hair  to  whisk  into  his 
face,  in  a  manner  that  compelled  him  to  shut  his  eyes, 
which  gave  occasion  to  a  smart  reprimand  from  the  reefer 
of  the  top.  There  was  a  feeble  attempt  to  explain  this 
assault  by  the  man  who  lay  next  to  Yarn,  who  affected  to 
think  the  hair  was  no  more  than  the  end  of  a  gasket  whip 
ping  in  the  wind  ;  but  his  shipmate,  who  had  pulled  one 
of  the  oars  of  the  yawl,  soon  silenced  this  explanation  by 
the  virtue  of  his  long-established  reputation  for  veracity. 
Even  Trysail  ventured  several  mysterious  conjectures  con 
cerning  the  fate  of  the  brigantine  in  the  gunroom  ;  but, 
on  returning  from  the  duty  of  sounding  the  inlet,  whither 
he  had  been  sent  by  his  captain,  he  was  less  communicative 
and  more  thoughtful  than  usual.  It  appeared,  indeed, 
from  the  surprise  that  was  manifested  by  every  officer  that 
heard  the  report  of  the  quartermaster,  who  had  given  the 
casts  of  the  lead  on  this  service,  that  no  one  in  the  ship, 
with  the  exception  of  Alderman  Van  Beverout,  was  at  all 
aware  that  there  was  rather  more  than  two  fathoms  of 
water  in  that  secret  passage. 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

Sirs,  take  your  places,  and  be  vigilant. — Henry  IV. 

THE  succeeding  day  was  one  in  which  the  weather  had  a 
fixed  character.  The  wind  was  east,  and,  though  light, 
not  fluctuating.  The  air  had  that  thick  and  hazy  appear 
ance  which  properly  belongs  to  the  autumn  in  this  climate, 
but  which  is  sometimes  seen  at  midsummer,  when  a  dry 
wind  blows  from  the  ocean.  The  roll  of  the  surf  on  the 
shore  was  regular  and  monotonous,  and  the  currents  of  the 
air  were  so  steady  as  to  remove  every  apprehension  of  a 
change.  The  moment  to  which  the  action  of  the  tale  is 
transferred,  was  in  the  earlier  hours  of  the  afternoon. 

At  that  time  the  Coquette  lay  again  at  her  anchors,  just 
within  the  shelter  of  the  cape.  There  were  a  few  small 
sails  to  be  seen  passing  up  the  bay  ;  but  the  scene,  as  was 


1 82  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

common  to  that  distant  day,  presented  little  of  the  activity 
of  our  own  times.  The  windows  of  the  Lust  in  Rust  were 
again  open,  and  the  movement  of  the  slaves  in  and  about 
the  villa  announced  the  presence  of  its  master. 

The  Alderman  was  in  truth,  at  the  hour  named,  pacing 
the  little  lawn  in  front  of  la  Cour  des  Fees,  accompanied 
by  Oloff  Van  Staats  and  the  commander  of  the  cruiser.  It 
was  evident,  by  the  frequent  glances  which  the  latter  threw 
in  the  direction  of  the  pavilion,  that  he  still  thought  of  her 
who  was  absent  ;  while  the  faculties  of  the  two  others  were 
either  in  better  subjection,  or  less  stimulated  by  anxiety. 
One  who  understood  the  character  of  the  individual,  and 
who  was  acquainted  with  the  past,  might  have  suspected, 
by  this  indifference  on  the  part  of  the  Patroon,  placed'as 
it  was  in  such  a  singular  contrast  to  a  sort  of  mysterious 
animation  which  enlivened  a  countenance  whose  ordinary 
expression  was  placid  content,  that  the  young  suitor 
thought  less  than  formerly  of  the  assets  of  old  Etienne,  and 
more  of  the  secret  pleasure  he  found  in  the  singular  inci 
dents  of  which  he  had  been  a  witness. 

"  Propriety  and  discretion  ! "  observed  the  burgher,  in 
reply  to  a  remark  of  one  of  the  young  men,  "  I  say  again, 
for  the  twentieth  time,  that  we  shall  have  Alida  Barberie 
back  among  us  as  handsome,  as  innocent,  aye,  and  as  rich 
as  ever  ! — perhaps  I  should  also  say,  as  wilful.  A  baggage 
to  worry  her  old  uncle,  and  two  honorable  suitors  in  so 
thoughtless  a  manner.  Circumstances,  gentlemen,"  con 
tinued  the  wary  merchant,  who  saw  that  the  value  of  the 
hand  of  which  he  had  to  dispose  was  somewhat  reduced  in 
the  market,  "  have  placed  you  on  a  footing  in  my  esteem. 
Should  my  niece,  after  all,  prefer  Captain  Ludlow  for  a 
partner,  in  her  worldly  affairs,  why,  it  should  not  weaken 
friendship  between  the  son  of  old  Stephanus  Van  Staats 
and  Myndert  Van  Beverout.  Our  grandmothers  were 
cousins,  and  there  should  be  charities  in  the  same  blood." 

"  I  could  not  wish  to  press  my  suit,"  returned  the  Pa 
troon,  "  when  the  lady  has  given  so  direct  a  hint  that  it 
was  disagreeable " 

"Hint  me  no  hints  !  Do  you  call  this  caprice  of  a  mo 
ment,  this  trifling,  as  the  Captain  here  would  call  it,  with 
the  winds  and  tides,  a  hint  !  The  girl  has  Norman  blood 
in  her  veins,  and  she  wished  to  put  animation  into  the 
courtship.  If  bargains  were  to  be  interrupted  by  a  little 
cheapening  of  the  buyer,  and  some  affectation  of  waiting 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  183 

for  a  better  market  in  the  seller,  her  Majesty  might  as  well 
order  her  custom-houses  to  be  closed  at  once,  and  look  to 
other  resources  for  revenue.  Let  the  girl's  fancy  have  its 
swing,  and  the  profits  of  a  year's  peltry  against  thy  rent- 
roll,  we  shall  see  her  penitent  for  her  folly,  and  willing  to 
hear  reason.  My  sister's  daughter  is  no  witch  to  go  jour 
neying  forever  about  the  world  on  a  broomstick  ! " 

"There  is  a  tradition  in  our  family,"  said  Oloff  Van 
Staats,  his  eye  lighting  with  a  mysterious  excitement, 
while  he  affected  to  laugh  at  the  folly  he  uttered,  "  that 
the  great  Poughkeepsie  fortune-teller  foretold,  in  the  pres 
ence  of  my  grandmother,  that  a  Patroon  of  Kinderhook 
should  intermarry  with  a  witch.  So,  should  I  see  la  Belle 
in  the  position  you  name,  it  would  not  greatly  alarm  me." 

"The  prophecy  was  fulfilled  at  the  wedding  of  thy 
father  !  "  muttered  Myndert,  who,  notwithstanding  the  out 
ward  levity  with  which  he  treated  the  subject,  was  not 
entirely  free  from  secret  reverence  for  the  provincial  sooth 
sayers,  some  of  whom  continued  in  high  repute,  even  to 
the  close  of  the  last  century.  "  His  son  would  not  else 
have  been  so  clever  a  youth  !  But  here  is  Captain  Ludlow 
looking  at  the  ocean  as  if  he  expected  to  see  my  niece  rise 
out  of  the  water  in  the  shape  of  a  mermaid." 

The  commander  of  the  Coquette  pointed  to  the  object 
which  attracted  his  gaze,  and  which,  appearing  as  it  did  at 
that  moment,  was  certainly  not  of  a  nature  to  lessen  the 
faith  of  either  of  his  companions  in  supernatural  agencies. 

It  has  been  said  that  the  wind  was  dry,  and  the  air  misty, 
or  rather  so  pregnant  with  a  thin  haze  as  to  give  it  the 
appearance  of  a  dull,  smoky  light.  In  such  a  state  of  the 
wreather,  the  eye,  more  especially  of  one  placed  on  an  ele 
vation,  is  unable  to  distinguish  what  is  termed  the  visible 
horizon  at  sea.  The  two  elements  become  so  blended,  that 
our  organs  cannot  tell  where  the  water  ends,  or  where  the 
void  of  the  heavens  commences.  It  is  a  consequence  of 
this  indistinctness  that  any  object  seen  beyond  the  appar 
ent  boundary  of  water  has  the  appearance  of  floating  in 
the  air.  It  is  rare  for  the  organs  of  a  landsman  to  pen 
etrate  beyond  the  apparent  limits  of  the  sea,  when  the 
atmosphere  exhibits  this  peculiarity,  though  the  practised 
eye  of  a  mariner  often  detects  vessels  which  are  hid  from 
others,  merely  because  they  are  not  sought  in  the  proper 
place.  The  deception  may  also  be  aided  by  a  slight  de 
gree  of  refraction. 


1 84  THE   WATER- WITCH. 

"  Here,"  said  Ludlow,  pointing  in  a  line  that  would  have 
struck  the  water  some  two  or  three  leagues  in  the  offing, 
"first  bring  the  chimney  of  yonder  low  building  on  the 
plain  in  a  range  with  the  dead  oak  on  the  shore,  and  then 
raise  your  eyes  slowly,  till  they  strike  a  sail." 

"  That  ship  is  navigating  the  heavens  !"  exclaimed  Myn- 
dert  "Thy  grandmother  was  a  sensible  woman,  Patroon  ; 
she  was  a  cousin  of  my  progenitor,  and  there  is  no  know 
ing  what  two  clever  old  ladies  in  their  time  may  have  heard 
and  seen,  when  such  sights  as  this  are  beheld  in  our  own  !" 

"  I  am  as  little  disposed  as  another  to  put  faith  in  in 
credible  things,"  gravely  returned  Oloff  Van  Staats  ;  "and 
yet,  if  required  to  give  my  testimony,  I  should  be  reluctant 
to  say  that  yonder  vessel  is  not  floating  in  the  heavens  ! " 

"You  might  not  give  it  to  that  effect  in  safety,"  said 
Ludlow.  "  It  is  no  other  than  a  half-rigged  brigantine  on 
a  taut  bowline,  though  she  bears  no  great  show  of  canvas. 
Mr.  Van  Beverout,  her  Majesty's  cruiser  is  about  to  put  to 
sea." 

Myndert  heard  this  declaration  invisible  dissatisfaction. 
He  spoke  of  the  virtue  of  patience,  and  of  the  comforts  of 
the  solid  ground  ;  but  when  he  found  the  intention  of  the 
Queen's  servant  was  not  to  be  shaken,  he  reluctantly  pro 
fessed  an  intention  of  repeating  the  personal  experiment 
of  the  preceding  day.  Accordingly,  wTithin  half  an  hour 
the  whole  party  were  on  the  banks  of  the  Shrewsbury,  and 
about  to  embark  in  the  barge  of  the  Coquette. 

"Adieu,  Monsieur  Francois,"  said  the  Alderman,  nod 
ding  his  head  to  the  ancient  valet,  who  stood  with  a  dis 
consolate  air  on  the  shore.  "  Have  a  care  of  the  movables 
in  la  Cour  des  Fees  ;  we  have  further  use  for  them." 

"  Mais,  Monsieur  Bevre',  mon  devoir  et  ma  foi,  suppose 
la  mer  was  plus  agreable,  mon  desir  shall  be  to  suivre 
Mam'selle  Alide.  Jamais  personne  de  la  famille  Barberie 
love  de  sea  ;  mais,  Monsieur,  comment  faire  ?  I  shall  die 
sur  la  mer  de  douleur  ;  and  I  shall  die  d'ennui  to  rester 
ici  bien  sur!" 

"Come  then,  faithful  Francois,"  said  Ludlow.  "You 
shall  follow  your  young  mistress  ;  and  perhaps  on  further 
trial  you  may  be  disposed  to  think  the  lives  of  us  seamen 
more  tolerable  than  you  had  believed." 

After  an  eloquent  expression  of  countenance,  in  which 
the  secretly  amused,  though  grave-looking  boat's  crew 
thought  the  old  man  was  about  to  give  a  specimen  of  his 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  185 

powers  of  anticipation,  the  affectionate  domestic  entered 
the  barge.  Ludlow  felt  for  his  distress,  and  encouraged 
him  by  a  look  of  approbation.  The  language  of  kindness 
does  not  always  need  a  tongue  ;  and  the  conscience  of  the 
valet  smote  him  with  the  idea  that  he  might  have  ex 
pressed  himself  too  strongly  concerning  a  profession  to 
which  the  other  had  devoted  life  and  hopes. 

"La  mer,  Monsieur  le  Capitaine,"  he  said,  with  an 
acknowledging  reverence,  "est  un  vaste  theatre  de  la 
gloire.  Voila  Messieurs  de  Tourville  et  Dougay  Trouin  ;  ce 
sont  des  homines  vraiment  remarquables  !  mais.  Monsieur, 
quant  a  tout  la  famille  de  Barberie,  we  have  tou jours  un 
sentiment  plus  favorable  pour  la  terre." 

"  I  wish  your  whimsical  jade  of  a  mistress,  Master  Fran 
cois,  had  found  the  same  sentiment,"  dryly  observed  Myn- 
dert ;  "  for  let  me  tell  you,  this  cruising  about  in  a  sus 
picious  vessel  is  as  little  creditable  to  her  judgment  as — 
cheer  up,  Patroon  ;  the  girl  is  only  putting  thy  metal  to 
trial,  and  the  sea  air  will  do  no  damage  to  her  complexion 
or  her  pocket.  A  little  predilection  for  salt  water  must 
raise  the  girl  in  your  estimation,  Captain  Ludlow  ? " 

"  If  the  predilection  goes  no  farther  than  the  element, 
sir,"  was  the  caustic  answer.  "  But,  deluded  or  not,  erring 
or  deceived,  Alida  Barberie  is  not  to  be  deserted,  the 
victim  of  a  villain's  arts.  I  did  love  your  niece,  Mr.  Van 
Beverout,  and — pull  with  a  will,  men  ;  are  you  sleeping  on 
the  oars  ? " 

The  sudden  manner  in  which  the  young  man  interrupted 
himself,  and  the  depth  of  tone  in  which  he  spoke  to  the 
boat's  crew,  put  an  end  to  the  discourse.  It  was  apparent 
that  he  wished  to  say  no  more,  and  that  he  even  regretted 
the  weakness  which  had  induced  him  to  say  so  much. 
The  remainder  of  the  distance  between  the  shore  and  the 
ship  was  passed  in  silence. 

When  Queen  Anne's  cruiser  was  seen  doubling  Sandy 
Hook,  past  meridian  on  the  6th  June  (sea-time)  in  the 
year  17 —  the  wind,  as  stated  in  an  ancient  journal,  which 
was  kept  by  one  of  the  midshipmen,  and  is  still  in  exist 
ence,  was  light,  steady  at  south  and  by  west-half-west.  It 
appears,  by  the  same  document,  that  the  vessel  took  her 
departure  at  seven  o'clock,  P.  M.,  the  point  of  Sandy  Hook 
bearing  west-half-south,  distant  three  leagues.  On  the 
same  page  which  contains  these  particulars,  it  is  observed, 
under  the  head  of  remarks,  "  Ship  under  starboard  stud- 


1 85  THE   WATER- WITCH. 

ding  sails,  forward  and  aft,  making  six  knots.  A  suspicious 
half-rigged  brigantine  lying-to  in  the  eastern  board,  under 
her  main-sail,  with  fore-topsail  to  the  mast ;  light  and  lofty 
sails  and  jib  loose  ;  foresail  in  the  brails.  Her  starboard 
studdingsail-booms  appear  to  be  rigged  out,  and  the  gear 
rove  ready  for  a  run.  This  vessel  is  supposed  to  be  the 
celebrated  hermaphrodite  Water- Witch,  commanded  by  the 
notorious  Skimmer  of  the  Seas,  and  the  same  fellow  who 
gave  us  so  queer  a  slip  yesterday.  The  Lord  send  us  a 
capful  of  wind,  and  we'll  try  his  heels,  before  morning ! 
Passengers,  Alderman  Van  Beverout,  of  the  second  ward 
of  the  city  of  New  York,  in  her  Majesty's  province  of  the 
same  name  ;  Oloff  Van  Staats,  Esq.,  commonly  called  the 
Patroon  of  Kinderhook,  of  the  same  colony  ;  and  a  qualm 
ish-looking  old  chap,  in  a  sort  of  marine's  jacket,  who 
answers  when  hailed  as  Francis.  A  rum  set,  taken  alto 
gether,  though  they  seem  to  suit  the  Captain's  fancy. 
Mem.:  Each  lipper  of  a  wave  works  like  tartar  emetic  on 
the  lad  in  marine  gear." 

As  no  description  of  ours  can  give  a  more  graphic  ac 
count  of  the  position  of  the  two  vessels  in  question,  at  the 
time  named,  than  that  which  is  contained  in  the  foregoing 
extract,  we  shall  take  up  the  narrative  at  that  moment, 
which  the  reader  will  see  must,  in  the  fortieth  degree  of 
latitude,  and  in  the  month  of  June,  have  been  shortly  after 
the  close  of  day. 

The  young  votary  of  Neptune,  whose  opinions  have  just 
been  quoted,  had  -indeed  presumed  on  his  knowledge  of  the 
localities,  in  affirming  the  distance  and  position  of  the  cape, 
since  the  low  sandy  point  was  no  longer  visible  from  the 
deck.  The  sun  had  set,  as  seen  from  the  vessel,  precisely 
in  the  mouth  of  the  Raritan  ;  and  the  shadows  from  Nave- 
sink,  or  Naversink,  as  the  hills  are  vulgarly  called,  were 
thrown  far  upon  the  sea. 

In  short,  the  night  was  gathering  round  the  mariners, 
with  every  appearance  of  settled  and  mild  weather,  but  of 
a  darkness  deeper  than  was  common  on  the  ocean.  Under 
such  circumstances  the  great  object  was  to  keep  on  the 
track  of  the  chase,  during  the  time  when  she  must  neces 
sarily  be  hid  from  their  sight. 

Ludlow  walked  into  the  lee-gangway  of  his  ship,  and, 
leaning  with  his  elbow  on  the  empty  hammock-cloths,  he 
gazed  long  in  silence  at  the  object  of  his  pursuit.  The 
Water-Witch  was  lying  in  the  quarter  of  the  horizon  most 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  187 

favorable  to  being  seen.  The  twilight,  which  still  fell  out 
of  the  heavens,  was  without  glare  in  that  direction  ;  and 
for  the  first  time  in  that  day,  he  saw  her  in  her  true  pro 
portions.  The  admiration  of  a  seaman  was  blended  with 
the  other  sensations  of  the  young  man.  The  brigantine 
lay  in  the  position  that  exhibited  her  exquisitely  moulded 
hull  and  rakish  rig  to  the  most  advantage.  The  head,  hav 
ing  come  to  the  wind,  was  turned  toward  her  pursuer  ;  and 
as  the  bows  rose  on  some  swell  that  was  heavier  than  com 
mon,  Ludlow  saw,  or  fancied  he  saw,  the  mysterious  image 
still  perched  on  the  cutwater,  holding  the  book  to  the  curi 
ous,  and  ever  pointing  with  its  linger  across  the  waste  of 
water.  A  movement  of  the  hammock -cloths  caused  the 
young  sailor  to  bend  his  head  aside,  and  he  then  saw  that 
the  master  had  drawn  as  near  his  person  as  discipline 
would  warrant.  Ludlow  had  a  great  respect  for  the  profes 
sional  attainments  that  his  inferior  unquestionably  pos 
sessed  ;  and  he  was  not  without  some  consideration  for  the 
chances  of  a  fortune  which  had  not  done  much  to  reward  the 
privations  and  the  services  of  a  seaman  old  enough  to  be 
his  father.  The  recollection  of  these  facts  always  disposed 
him  to  be  indulgent  to  a  man  who  had  little  beyond  his  sea 
man-like  character  and  long  experience  to  recommend  him. 

"We  are  likely  to  have  a  thick  night,  Master  Trysail," 
said  the  young  Captain,  without  deeming  it  necessary  to 
change  his  look,  "  and  we  may  yet  be  brought  on  a  bow 
line  before  yonder  insolent  is  overhauled." 

The  master  smiled  like  one  who  knew  more  than  he  ex 
pressed,  and  gravely  shook  his  head. 

"We  may  have  many  pulls  on  our  bowlines,  and  some 
squaring  of  yards,  too,  before  the  Coquette  (the  figure 
head  of  the  sloop-of-war  was  also  a  female)  gets  near 
enough  to  the  dark-faced  woman  under  the  bowsprit  of 
the  brigantine  to  whisper  her  mind.  You  and  I  have 
been  nigh  enough  to  see  the  white  of  her  eyes,  and  to 
count  the  teeth  she  shows  in  that  cunning  grin  of  hers 
— and  what  good  has  come  of  our  visit  ?  I  am  but  a  sub 
ordinate,  Captain  Ludlow,  and  I  know  my  duty  too  well 
not  to  be  silent  in  a  squall,  and  I  hope  too  well  not  to 
know  how  to  speak  when  my  commander  wishes  the  opin 
ions  of  his  officers  at  a  counsel  ;  and  therefore  mine,  just 
now,  is  perhaps  different  from  that  of  some  others  in  this 
ship  that  I  will  not  name,  who  are  good  men,  too,  though 
none  of  the  oldest." 


1 88  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

"  And  what  is  thy  opinion,  Trysail  ? — the  ship  is  doing 
well,  and  she  carries  her  canvas  bravely  ? " 

"The  ship  behaves  like  a  well-bred  young  woman  in  the 
presence  of  the  Queen  ;  modest,  but  stately — but  of  what 
use  is  canvas,  in  a  chase  where  witchcraft  breeds  squalls 
and  shortens  sail  in  one  vessel,  while  it  gives  flying  kites  to 
another  !  If  her  Majesty,  God  bless  her  !  should  be  ever 
persuaded  to  do  so  silly  a  thing  as  to  give  old  Tom  Trysail 
a  ship,  and  the  said  ship  lay,  just  here-away,  where  the 
Coquette  is  now  getting  along  so  cleverly,  why  then,  as  in 
duty  bound,  I  know  very  well  what  her  commander  would 
do— 

"  Which  would  be " 

"  To  in  all  studding-sails,  and  bring  the  vessel  on  the 
wind." 

"  That  would  be  to  carry  you  to  the  southward,  while  the 
chase  lies  here  in  the  eastern  board  !  " 

"  Who  can  say  how  long  she  will  lie  there  ?  They  told 
us,  in  York,  that  there  was  a  Frenchman,  of  our  burden 
and  metal,  rummaging  about  among  the  fishermen,  lower 
clown  on  the  coast.  Now,  sir,  no  man  knows  that  the  war 
is  half  over  better  than  myself,  for  not  a  ha'penny  of  prize 
money  has  warmed  my  pocket  these  three  years  ;  but,  as  I 
was  saying,  if  a  Frenchman  will  come  off  his  ground,  and 
will  run  his  ship  into  troubled  water,  why — whose  fault  is 
it  but  his  own  ?  A  pretty  affair  might  be  made  out  of  such 
a  mistake,  Captain  Ludlow  ;  whereas  running  after  yonder 
brigantine  is  flapping  out  the  Queen's  canvas  for  nothing. 
The  vessel's  bottom  will  want  new  sheathing,  in  my  opin 
ion,  before  you  catch  him." 

"  I  know  not,  Trysail,"  returned  his  captain,  glancing  an 
eye  aloft  ;  "  everything  draws,  and  the  ship  never  went 
along  with  less  trouble  to  herself.  We  shall  not  know  which 
has  the  longest  legs  till  the  trial  is  made." 

"  You  may  judge  of  the  rogue's  speed  by  his  impudence. 
There  he  lies,  waiting  for  us,  like  a  line-of-battle  ship  ly- 
ing-to  for  an  enemy  to  come  down.  Though  a  man  of  some 
experience  in  my  way,  I  have  never  seen  a  lord's  son  more 
sure  of  promotion  than  that  same  brigantine  seems  to  be 
of  his  heels  !  If  this  old  Frenchman  goes  on  with  his  faces 
much  longer,  he  will  turn  himself  inside  out,  and  then  we 
shall  get  an  honest  look  at  him,  for  these  fellows  never 
carry  their  true  characters  above  board,  like  a  fair-dealing 
Englishman.  Well,  sir,  as  I  was  remarking,  yon  rover,  if 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  189 

rover  he  be,  has  more  faith  in  his  canvas  than  in  the  church. 
I  make  no  doubt,  Captain  Ludlow,  that  the  brigantine 
went  through  the  inlet  while  we  were  handling  our  top 
sails  yesterday  ;  for  I  am  none  of  those  who  are  in  a  hurry 
to  give  credit  to  any  will-o'-the-wisp  tale  ;  besides  which, 
I  sounded  the  passage  with  my  own  hands,  and  know  the 
thing  to  be  possible,  with  the  wind  blowing  heavy  over  the 
taffrail  ;  still,  sir,  human  nature  is  human  nature,  and  what 
is  the  oldest  seaman,  after  all,  but  a  man  ?  And  so,  to  con 
clude,  I  would  rather  any  day  chase  a  Frenchman,  whose 
disposition  is  known  to  me,  than  have  the  credit  of  making 
traverses  for  eight-and-forty  hours,  in  the  wake  of  one  of 
these  flyers,  with  little  hope  of  getting  him  within  hail." 

"  You  forget,  Master  Trysail,  that  I  have  been  aboard 
the  chase,  and  know  something  of  his  build  and  char 
acter." 

"They  say  as  much  aboard  here,"  returned  the  old  tar, 
drawing  nearer  to  the  person  of  his  captain,  under  an  im 
pulse  of  strong  curiosity  ;  "  though  none  presume  to  be 
acquainted  with  the  particulars.  I  am  not  one  of  those 
who  ask  impertinent  questions,  more  especially  under 
her  Majesty's  pennant  ;  for  the  worst  enemy  I  have  will 
not  say  I  am  very  womanish.  One  would  think,  however, 
that  there  was  neat  work  on  board  a  craft  that  is  so  prettily 
moulded  about  her  water  lines  ?  " 

"  She  is  perfect  as  to  construction,  and  admirable  in 
gear." 

"  I  thought  as  much,  by  instinct !  Her  commander  need 
not,  however,  be  any  the  more  sure  of  keeping  her  off  the 
rocks,  on  that  account.  The  prettiest  young  woman  in 
our  parish  was  wrecked,  as  one  might  say,  on  the  shoals 
of  her  own  good  looks,  having  cruised  once  too  often  in 
the  company  of  the  squire's  son.  A  comely  wench  she 
was,  though  she  luffed  athwart  all  her  old  companions 
when  the  young  lord  of  the  manor  fell  into  her  wake. 
Well,  she  did  bravely  enough,  sir,  as  long  as  she  could 
carry  her  flying  kites,  and  make  a  fair  wind  of  it  ;  but 
when  the  squall,  of  which  I  spoke,  overtook  her,  what 
could  she  do  but  keep  away  before  it  ? — and  as  others  who 
are  snugger  in  their  morals  hove-to  as  it  were,  under  the 
storm-sails  of  religion  and  such  matters  as  they  had  picked 
up  in  the  catechism,  she  drifted  to  leeward  of  all  honest 
society  !  A  neatly-built  and  clean-heeled  hussy  was  that 
girl ;  and  I  am  not  certain,  by  any  means,  that  Mrs.  Try- 


190  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

sail  would  this  day  call  herself  the  lady  of  a  queen's  offi 
cer  had  the  Other  known  how  to  carry  sail  in  the  com 
pany  of  her  betters." 

The  worthy  master  drew  a  long  breath,  which  possibly 
was  a  nautical  sigh,  but  which  certainly  had  more  of  the 
north  wind  than  of  the  zephyr  in  its  breathing  ;  and  he 
had  recourse  to  the  little  box  of  iron,  whence  he  usually 
drew  consolation. 

"  I  have  heard  of  this  accident  before,"  returned  Ludlow, 
who  had  sailed  as  a  midshipman  in  the  same  vessel  with, 
and  indeed  as  a  subordinate  to,  his  present  inferior.  "  But, 
from  all  accounts,  you  have  little  reason  to  regret  the 
change,  as  I  hear  the  best  character  of  your  present  worthy 
partner." 

"  No  doubt,  sir,  no  doubt.  I  defy  any  man  in  the  ship 
to  say  that  I  am  a  backbiter,  even  against  my  wife,  with 
whom  I  have  a  sort  of  lawful  right  to  deal  candidly.  I 
make  no  complaints,  and  am  a  happy  man  at  sea,  and  I 
piously  hope  Mrs.  Trysail  knows  how  to  submit  to  her 
duty  at  home.  I  suppose  you  see,  sir,  that  the  chase  has 
hauled  his  yards,  and  is  getting  his  fore-tack  aboard  ? " 

Ludlow,  whose  eye  did  not  often  turn  from  the  brigan- 
tine,  nodded  assent  ;  and  the  master,  having  satisfied  him 
self  by  actual  inspection,  that  every  sail  in  the  Coquette  did 
its  duty,  continued,  "The  night  is  coming  on  thick,  and  we 
shall  have  occasion  for  all  our  eyes  to  keep  the  rogue  in 
view,  when  he  begins  to  change  his  bearings — but  as  I 
was  saying,  if  the  commander  of  yonder  half-rig  is  too  vain 
of  her  good  looks,  he  may  yet  wreck  her,  in  his  pride  ! 
The  rogue  has  a  desperate  character  as  a  smuggler,  though, 
for  my  own  part,  I  cannot  say  that  I  look  on  such  men 
with  as  unfavorable  an  eye  as  some  others.  This  business 
of  trade  seems  to  be  a  sort  of  chase  between  one  man's 
wits  and  another  man's  wits,  and  the  dullest  goer  must  be 
content  to  fall  to  leeward.  When  it  comes  to  be  a  ques 
tion  of  revenue,  why,  he  who  goes  free  is  lucky,  and  he 
who  is  caught,  a  prize.  I  have  known  a  flag  officer  look 
the  other  way,  Captain  Ludlow,  when  his  own  effects  were 
passing  duty  free  ;  and  as  to  your  admiral's  lady,  she  is  a 
great  patroness  of  the  contraband.  I  do  not  deny,  sir, 
that  a  smuggler  must  be  caught,  and  when  caught,  con 
demned,  after  which  there  must  be  a  fair  distribution 
among  the  captors  ;  but  all  that  I  mean  to  say  is,  that  there 
are  worse  men  in  the  world  than  your  British  smuggler — 


THE 

such,  for  instance,  as  your  French] 
or  your  Don." 

"These  are  heterodox  opinions  for  a 
said  Ludlow,  as  much  inclined  to  smile  as  to  frown. 

"  I  hope  I  know  my  duty  too  well  to  preach  them  to  the 
ship's  company,  but  a  man  may  say  that,  in  a  philosoph 
ical  way,  before  his  captain,  that  he  would  not  let  run  into 
a  midshipman's  ear.  Though  no  lawyer,  I  know  what  is 
meant  by  swearing  a  witness  to  the  truth  and  nothing  but 
the  truth.  I  wish  the  Queen  got  the  last,  God  bless  her  ! 
several  worn-out  ships  would  then  be  broken  up,  and 
better  vessels  sent  to  sea  in  their  places.  But,  sir,  speak 
ing  in  a  religious  point  of  view,  what  is  the  difference  be 
tween  passing  in  a  trunk  of  finery,  with  a  duchess's  name 
on  the  brass  plate,  or  in  passing  in  gin  enough  to  fill  a 
cutter's  hold  ? " 

"  One  would  think  a  man  of  your  years,  Mr.  Trysail, 
would  see  the  difference  between  robbing  the  revenue  of 
a  guinea,  and  robbing  it  of  a  thousand  pounds." 

"  Which  is  just  the  difference  between  retail  and  whole 
sale — and  that  is  no  trifle,  I  admit,  Captain  Ludlow,  in  a 
commercial  country,  especially  in  genteel  life.  Still,  sir, 
revenue  is  the  country's  right,  therefore  I  allow  a  smug 
gler  to  be  a  bad  man,  only  not  so  bad  as  those  I  have  just 
named,  particularly  your  Dutchman  !  The  Queen  is  right 
to  make  those  rogues  lower  their  flags  to  her  in  the  nar 
row  seas,  which  are  her  lawful  property  ;  because  Eng 
land,  being  a  wealthy  island,  and  Holland  no  more  than  a 
bit  of  bog  turned  up  to  dry,  it  is  reasonable  that  we  should 
have  the  command  afloat.  No,  sir,  though  none  of  your 
outcriers  against  a  man  because  he  has  had  bad  luck  in  a 
chase  with  a  revenue  cutter,  I  hope  I  know  what  the  nat 
ural  rights  of  an  Englishman  are.  We  must  be  masters 
here,  Captain  Ludlow,  will-ye-nill-ye,  and  look  to  the  main 
chances  of  trade  and  manufactures  !  " 

"  I  had  not  thought  you  so  accomplished  a  statesman, 
Mr.  Trysail !  " 

"  Though  a  poor  man's  son,  Captain  Ludlow,  I  am  a 
free-born  Briton,  and  my  education  has  not  been  entirely 
overlooked.  I  hope  I  know  something  of  the  constitution, 
as  well  as  my  betters.  Justice  and  honor  being  an  Eng 
lishman's  mottoes,  we  must  look  manfully  to  the  main 
chance.  We  are  none  of  your  flighty  talkers,  but  a  rea 
soning  people,  and  there  is  no  want  of  deep  thinkers  on  the 


192  THE  WATER-WITCH. 

little  island  ;  and  therefore,  sir,  taking  all  together,  why, 
England  must  stick  up  for  her  rights !  Here  is  your 
Dutchman,  for  instance,  a  ravenous  cormorant :  a  fellow 
with  a  throat  wide  enough  to  swallow  all  the  gold  of  the 
Great  Mogul,  if  he  could  get  at  it  :  and  yet  a  vagabond 
who  has  not  even  a  fair  footing  on  the  earth,  if  the  truth 
must  be  spoken.  Well,  sir,  shall  England  give  up  her 
rights  to  a  nation  of  such  blackguards  ?  No,  sir  ;  our  ven 
erable  constitution  and  mother  Church  itself  forbid  ;  and 
therefore  I  say,  dam'me,  lay  them  aboard,  if  they  refuse 
us  any  of  our  natural  rights,  or  show  a  wish  to  bring  us 
down  to  their  own  dirty  level  ! " 

"  Reasoned  like  a  countryman  of  Newton,  and  with  an  elo 
quence  that  would  do  credit  to  Cicero  !  I  shall  endeavor 
to  digest  your  ideas  at  my  leisure,  since  they  are  much 
too  solid  food  to  be  disposed  of  in  a  minute.  At  present 
we  will  look  to  the  chase,  for  I  see,  by  the  aid  of  my  glass, 
that  he  has  set  his  studding-sails,  and  is  beginning  to  draw 
"ahead." 

This  remark  closed  the  dialogue  between  the  Captain 
and  his  subordinate.  The  latter  quitted  the  gangway  with 
that  secret  and  pleasurable  sensation  which  communicates 
itself  to  all  who  have  reason  to  think  they  have  delivered 
themselves  creditably  of  a  train  of  profound  thought. 

It  was,  in  truth,  time  to  lend  every  faculty  to  the  move 
ments  of  the  brigantine  ;  for  there  was  great  reason  to  ap 
prehend  that  by  changing  her  direction  in  the  darkness, 
she  might  elude  them.  The  night  was  fast  closing  on  the 
Coquette,  and  at  each  moment  the  horizon  narrowed 
around  her,  so  that  it  was  only  at  uncertain  intervals  the 
men  aloft  could  distinguish  the  position  of  the  chase. 
While  the  two  vessels  were  thus  situated,  Ludlow  joined 
his  guests  on  the  quarter-deck. 

"  A  wise  man  will  trust  to  his  wits,  what  cannot  be  done 
by  force,"  said  the  Alderman.  "I  dp  not  pretend  to  be 
much  of  a  mariner,  Captain  Ludlow,  though  I  once  spent 
a  week  in  London,  and  I  have  crossed  the  ocean  seven 
times  to  Rotterdam.  We  did  little  in  our  passages,  by 
striving  to  force  nature.  When  the  nights  came  in  dark, 
as  at  present,  the  honest  skippers  were  content  to  wait 
for  better  times  ;  by  which  means  we  were  sure  not  to 
miss  our  road,  and  of  finally  arriving  at  the  destined  port 
in  safety." 

"  You  saw  that  the  brigantine  was  opening  his  canvas, 


THE  WATER-WITCH.  193 

when  last  seen  ;  and  he  that  would  move  fast  must  have 
recourse  to  his  sails." 

"  One  never  knows  what  may  be  brewing,  up  there  in 
the  heavens,  when  the  eye  cannot  see  the  color  of  a  cloud. 
I  have  little  knowledge  of  the  character  of  the  Skimmer 
of  the  Seas  beyond  that  which  common  fame  gives  him  ; 
but,  in  the  poor  judgment  of  a  landsman,  we  should  do 
better  by  showing  lanterns  in  different  parts  of  the  ship, 
lest  some  homeward  bound  vessel  do  us  an  injury,  and 
waiting  until  the  morning  for  farther  movements." 

"  We  are  spared  the  trouble,  for  look,  the  insolent  has 
set  a  light  himself,  as  if  to  invite  us  to  follow !  This 
temerity  exceeds  belief !  To  dare  to  trifle  thus  with  one 
of  the  swiftest  cruisers  in  the  English  fleet !  See  that 
everything  draws,  gentlemen,  and  take  a  pull  at  all  the 
sheets.  Hail  the  tops,  sir,  and  make  sure  that  everything 
is  home." 

The  order  was  succeeded  by  the  voice  of  the  officer  of 
the  watch,  who  inquired,  as  directed,  if  each  sail  was  dis 
tended  to  the  utmost.  Force  was  applied  to  some  of  the 
ropes,  and  then  a  general  quiet  succeeded  to  the  momen 
tary  activity. 

The  brigantine  had  indeed  showed  a  light,  as  if  in  mock 
ery  of  the  attempt  of  the  royal  cruiser.  Though  secretly 
stung  by  this  open  contempt  of  their  speed,  the  officers  of 
the  Coquette  found  themselves  relieved  from  a  painful 
and  anxious  duty.  Before  this  beacon  was  seen,  they 
were  obliged  to  exert  their  senses  to  the  utmost,  in  order 
to  get  occasional  glimpses  of  the  position  of  the  chase  ; 
while  they  now  steered  in  confidence  for  the  brilliant 
little  spot  that  was  gently  rising  and  falling  with  the 
waves. 

"I  think  we  near  him,"  half  whispered  the  eager  cap 
tain  ;  "see,  there  is  some  design  visible  on  the  sides  of 
the  lantern.  Hold !  Ah !  'tis  the  face  of  a  woman,  as  I 
live." 

"  The  men  of  the  yawl  report  that  the  rover  shows  this 
symbol  in  many  parts  of  his  vessel,  and  we  know  he  had 
the  impudence  to  set  it  yesterday  in  our  presence,  even  on 
his  ensign." 

"True — true  ;  take  you  the  glass,  Mr.  Luff,  and  tell  me 
if  there  be  not  a  woman's  face  sketched  in  front  of  that 
light — we  certainly  near  him  fast — let  there  be  silence, 
fore  and  aft  the  ship.  The  rogues  mistake  our  bearings  ! " 


I94  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

"  A  saucy-looking  jade,  as  one  might  wish  to  see  !  "  re 
turned  the  lieutenant.  "  Her  impudent  laugh  is  visible 
to  the  naked  eye." 

"See  all  clear  for  laying  him  aboard  !  Get  a  party  to 
throw  on  his  decks,  sir  !  I  will  lead  them  myself." 

These  orders  were  given  in  an  undertone,  and  rapidly. 
They  were  promptly  obeyed.  In  the  meantime  the  Co 
quette  continued  to  glide  gently  ahead,  her  sails  thicken 
ing  with  the  dew,  and  every  breath  of  the  heavy  air  acting 
with  increased  power  on  their  surfaces.  The  boarders 
were  stationed,  orders  were  given  for  the  most  profound 
silence,  and  as  the  ship  drew  nearer  to  the  light,  even  the 
officers  were  commanded  not  to  stir.  Ludlow  stationed 
himself  in  the  mizzen  channels,  to  con  the  ship  ;  and  his 
directions  were  repeated  to  the  quartermaster  in  a  loud 
whisper. 

''The  night  is  so  dark,  we  are  certainly  unseen  !"  ob 
served  the  young  man  to  his  second  in  command,  who 
stood  at  his  elbow.  "  They  have  unaccountably  mistaken 
our  position.  Observe  how  the  face  of  the  painting  be 
comes  more  distinct — one  can  see  even  the  curls  of  the 
hair.  Luff,  sir,  luff — we  will  run  him  aboard  on  his 
weather  quarter." 

"The  fool  must  be  lying-to!"  returned  the  lieutenant. 
"  Even  your  witches  fail  of  common-sense  at  times  !  Do 
you  see  which  way  he  has  his  head,  sir ! " 

"I  see  nothing  but  the  light.  It  is  so  dark  that  our 
own  sails  are  scarcely  visible — yet  I  think  here  are  his 
yards,  a  little  forward  of  our  lee  beam." 

"'Tis  our  own  lower  boom.  I  got  it  out  in  readiness 
for  the  other  tack,  in  case  the  knave  should  wear.  Are 
we  not  running  too  full  ?" 

"  Luff  you  may,  a  little — luff,  or  we  shall  crush  him  !" 

As  this  order  was  given  Ludlow  passed  swiftly  forward. 
He  found  the  boarders  ready  for  a  spring,  and  he  rapidly 
gave  his  orders.  The  men  were  told  to  carry  the  brigan- 
tine  at  every  hazard,  but  not  to  offer  violence,  unless  seri 
ous  resistance  was  made.  They  were  thrice  enjoined  not 
to  enter  the  cabins,  and  the  young  man  expressed  a  gen 
erous  wish  that,  in  every  case,  the  Skimmer  of  the  Seas 
might  be  taken  alive.  By  the  time  these  directions  were 
given  the  light  was  so  near  that  the  malign  countenance 
of  the  sea-green  lady  was  seen  in  every  lineament.  Lud 
low  looked  in  vain  for  the  spars,  in  order  to  ascertain  in 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  195 

which  direction  the  head  of  the  brigantine  lay  :  but,  trust 
ing  to  luck,  he  saw  that  the  decisive  moment  was  come. 

u  Starboard,  and  run  him  aboard !  Away  there,  you 
boarders,  away  !  Heave  with  your  grapnels  ;  heave,  men, 
with  a  long  swing,  heave  !  Meet  her,  with  the  helm — 
hard  down — meet  her — steady!"  was  shouted  in  a  clear, 
full,  and  steady  voice,  that  seemed  to  deepen  at  each  man 
date  which  issued  from  the  lips  of  the  young  Captain. 

The  boarders  cheered  heartily  and  leaped  into  the  rig 
ging.  The  Coquette  readily  and  rapidly  yielded  to  the 
power  of  her  rudder.  First  inclining  to  the  light,  and 
then  sweeping  up  toward  the  wind  again,  in  another  in 
stant  she  was  close  upon  the  chase.  The  irons  were 
thrown,  the  men  once  more  shouted,  and  all  on  board  held 
their  breaths  in  expectation  of  the  crash  of  the  meeting 
hulls.  At  that  moment  of  high  excitement  the  woman's 
face  rose  a  short  distance  in  the  air,  seemed  to  smile  in  de 
rision  of  their  attempt,  and  suddenly  disappeared.  The 
ship  passed  steadily  ahead,  while  no  noise  but  the  sullen 
wash  of  the  waters  was  audible.  The  boarding-irons  were 
heard  falling  heavily  into  the  sea,  and  the  Coquette  rap 
idly  overran  the  spot  where  the  light  had  been  seen,  with 
out  sustaining  any  shock.  Though  the  clouds  lifted  a 
little,  and  the  eye  might  embrace  a  circuit  of  a  few  hun 
dred  feet,  there  certainly  was  nothing  to  be  seen  within  its 
range  but  the  unquiet  element,  and  the  stately  cruiser  of 
Queen  Anne  floating  on  its  bosom. 

Though  its  effects  were  different  on  the  differently-con 
stituted  minds  of  those  who  witnessed  the  singular  inci 
dent,  the  disappointment  was  general.  The  common  im 
pression  was  certainly  unfavorable  to  the  earthly  character 
of  the  brigantine  ;  and  when  opinions  of  this  nature  once 
get  possession  of  the  ignorant,  they  are  not  easily  removed. 
Even  Trysail,  though  experienced  in  the  arts  of  those  who 
trifle  with  the  revenue  laws,  was  much  inclined  to  believe 
that  this  was  no  vulgar  case  of  floating  lights  or  false  bea 
cons,  but  a  manifestation  that  others,  besides  those  who 
had  been  regularly  trained  to  the  sea,  were  occasionally  to 
be  found  on  the  waters. 

If  Captain  Ludlow  thought  differently,  he  saw  no  suf 
ficient  reason  to  enter  into  an  explanation  with  those  who 
were  bound  silently  to  obey.  He  paced  the  quarter-deck 
for  many  minutes  ;  then  issued  his  orders  to  the  equally 
disappointed  lieutenants.  The  light  canvas  of  the  Coquette 


196  THE  WATER-WITCH. 

was  taken  in,  the  studding-sail  gear  unrove,  and  the  booms 
secured.  The  ship  was  brought  to  the  wind,  and  her 
courses  having  been  hauled  up,  the  fore-topsail  was  thrown 
to  the  mast.  In  this  position  the  cruiser  lay,  waiting  for 
the  morning  light,  in  order  to  give  greater  certainty  to  her 
movements. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

I,  John  Turner, 

Am  master  and  owner 

Of  a  high-decked  schooner, 

That's  bound  to  Car'lina.  —  Coasting  Song. 

IT  is  not  necessary  to  say,  with  how  much  interest  Alder 
man  Van  Beverout,  and  his  friend  the  Patroon,  witnessed 
all  the  proceedings  on  board  the  Coquette.  Something 
very  like  an  exclamation  of  pleasure  escaped  the  former, 
when  it  was  known  that  the  ship  had  missed  the  brigan- 
tine,  and  that  there  was  now  little  probability  of  overtaking 
her  that  night. 

"Of  what  use  is  it  to  chase  your  fire-flies  about  the 
ocean,  Patroon  ? "  muttered  the  Alderman,  in  the  ear  of 
Oloff  Van  Staats.  "  I  have  no  farther  knowledge  of  this 
Skimmer  of  the  Seas,  than  is  decent  in  the  principal  of  a 
commercial  house — but  reputation  is  like  a  sky-rocket, 
that  maybe  seen  from  afar  !  Her  Majesty  has  no  ship  that 
can  overtake  the  freetrader,  and  why  fatigue  the  innocent 
vessel  for  nothing  ? " 

"  Captain  Ludlow  has  other  desires  than  the  mere  cap 
ture  of  the  brigantine,"  returned  the  laconic  and  senten 
tious  Patroon.  "  The  opinion  that  Alida  de  Barberie  is  in 
her,  has  great  influence  with  that  gentleman." 

"  This  is  strange  apathy,  Mr.  Van  Staats,  in  one  who  is 
as  good  as  engaged  to  my  niece,  if  he  be  not  actually  mar 
ried.  Alida  Barberie  has  great  influence  with  that  gentle 
man  !  And  pray,  with  whom,  that  knows  her,  has  she  not 
influence  ?" 

"  The  sentiment  in  favor  of  the  young  lady  in  general  is 
favorable." 

"Sentiment  and  favors  !  Am  I  to  understand,  sir,  by  this 
coolness,  that  our  bargain  is  broken  ? — that  the  two  fortunes 
are  not  to  be  brought  together,  and  that  the  lady  is  not  to 
be  your  wife  ? " 


THE  WATER-WITCH.  197 

"  Harkee,  Mr.  Van  Beverout  ;  one  who  is  saving  of  his 
income  and  sparing  of  his  words  can  have  no  pressing  ne 
cessity  for  the  money  of  others  ;  and,  on  occasion,  he  may 
afford  to  speak  plainly.  Your  niece  has  shown  so  decided 
a  preference  for  another  that  it  has  materially  lessened  the 
liveliness  of  my  regard." 

"  It  were  a  pity  that  so  much  animation  should  fail  of 
its  object !  It  would  be  a  sort  of  stoppage  in  the  affairs  of 
Cupid !  Men  should  deal  candidly  in  all  business  trans 
actions,  Mr.  Van  Staats  ;  and  you  will  permit  me  to  ask, 
for  a  final  settlement,  if  your  mind  is  changed  in  regard  to 
the  daughter  of  old  Etienne  de  Barberie,  or  not  ?" 

"  Not  changed,  but  quite  decided,"  returned  the  young 
Patroon.  "  I  cannot  say  that  I  wish  the  successor  of  my 
mother  to  have  seen  so  much  of  the  world.  We  are  a 
family  that  is  content  with  our  situation,  and  new  customs 
would  derange  my  household." 

"  I  am  no  wizard,  sir ;  but  for  the  benefit  of  a  son  of  my 
old  friend  Step  ban  us  Van  Staats,  I  will  venture,  for  once, 
on  a  prophecy.  You  will  marry,  Mr.  Van  Staats — yes, 
marry — and  you  will  wive  sir,  with — prudence  prevents  me 
from  saying  with  whom  you  will  wive ;  but  you  may 
account  yourself  a  lucky  man  if  it  be  not  with  one  who  will 
cause  you  to  forget  house  and  home,  lands  and  friends, 
manors  and  rents,  and  in  short  all  the  solid  comforts  of 
life.  It  would  not  surprise  me  to  hear  that  the  prediction 
of  the  Poughkeepsie  fortune-teller  should  be  fulfilled!" 

"And  what  is  your  real  opinion,  Alderman  Van  Bever 
out,  of  the  different  mysterious  events  we  have  witnessed?" 
demanded  the  Patroon,  in  a  manner  to  prove  that  the  in 
terest  he  took  in  the  subject  completely  smothered  any 
displeasure  he  might  otherwise  have  felt  at  so  harsh  a 
prophecy.  "This  sea-green  lady  is  no  common  woman  ?" 

"  Sea-green  and  sky-blue  ! "  interrupted  the  impatient 
burgher.  "The  hussy  is  but  too  common  sir  ;  and  there 
is  the  calamity.  Had  she  been  satisfied  with  transacting 
her  concerns  in  a  snug  and  reasonable  manner,  and  to  have 
gone  upon  the  high  seas  again,  we  should  have  had  none 
of  this  foolery  to  disturb  accounts  which  ought  to  have 
been  considered  settled.  Mr.  Van  Staats,  will  you  allow 
me  to  ask  a  few  direct  questions,  if  you  can  find  leisure  for 
their  answer  ? " 

The  Patroon  nodded  his  head  in  the  affirmative. 

"  What  do  you  suppose,  sir,  to  have  become  of  my  niece  !  " 


198  THE   WATER-WITCH, 

"  Eloped." 

"  And  with  whom  ? " 

Van  Staats  of  Kinderhook  stretched  an  arm  toward  the 
open  ocean,  and  again  nodded.  The  Alderman  mused  a 
moment ;  then  he  chuckled,  as  if  some  amusing  idea  had 
got  the  better  of  his  ill  humor. 

"Come,  come,  Patroon,"  he  said  in  his  wonted  amicable 
tone,  when  addressing  the  lord  of  a  hundred  thousand 
acres,  "this  business  is  like  a  complicated  account,  a  little 
difficult  till  one  gets  acquainted  with  the  books,  when  all 
becomes  plain  as  your  hand.  There  were  referees  in  the 
estate  of  Kobus  Van  Klinck,  whom  I  will  not  name  ;  but 
what  between  the  handwriting  of  the  old  grocer,  and  some 
inaccuracy  in  the  figures,  they  had  bnt  a  blind  time  of  it 
until  they  discovered  which  way  the  balance  ought  to 
come  ;  then  by  working  backward  and  forward,  which  is 
the  true  spirit  of  your  just  referee,  they  got  all  straight  in 
the  end.  Kobus  was  not  very  lucid  in  his  statements,  and 
he  was  a  little  apt  to  be  careless  of  ink.  His  ledger  might 
be  called  a  book  of  the  black  art ;  for  it  was  little  else  than 
fly-tracks  and  blots,  though  the  last  were  found  of  great 
assistance  in  rendering  the  statements  satisfactory.  By 
calling  three  of  the  biggest  of  them  sugar-hogsheads,  a 
very  fair  balance  was  struck  between  him  and- a  peddling 
Yankee  who  was  breeding  trouble  for  the  estate  ;  and  I 
challenge,  even  at  this  distant  day,  when  all  near  interests 
in  the  results  may  be  said  to  sleep,  any  responsible  man  to 
say  that  they  did  not  look  as  much  like  those  articles  as 
anything  else.  Something  they  must  have  been,  and  as 
Kobus  dealt  largely  in  sugar,  there  was  also  a  strong  moral 
probability  that  they  were  the  said  hogsheads.  Come, 
come,  Patroon ;  we  shall  have  the  jade  back  again 
in  proper  time.  Thy  ardor  gets  the  better  of  reason  ; 
but  this  is  the  way  with  true  love,  which  is  none  the 
worse  for  a  little  delay.  Alida  is  not  one  to  balk  thy 
merriment  ;  these  Norman  wenches  are  not  heavy  of 
foot  at  a  dance,  or  apt  to  go  to  sleep  when  the  fiddles 
are  stirring ! " 

With  this  consolation,  Alderman  Van  Beverout  saw  fit 
to  close  the  dialogue,  for  the  moment.  How  far  he  suc 
ceeded  in  bringing  back  the  mind  of  the  Patroon  to  his 
allegiance,  the  result  must  show  ;  though  we  shall  take 
this  occasion  to  observe  again  that  the  young  proprietor 
found  a  satisfaction  in  the  excitement  of  the  present  scene, 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  199 

that,  in  the  course  of  a  short  and  little  diversified  life,  he 
had  never  before  experienced. 

While  others  slept,  Ludlow  passed  most  of  the  night  on 
deck.  He  laid  himself  down  in  the  hammock-cloths,  for 
an  hour  or  two,  as  the  night  wore  on  ;  though  the  wind  did 
not  sigh  through  the  rigging  louder  than  common  without 
arousing  him  from  his  slumbers.  At  each  low  call  of  the 
officer  of  the  watch  to  the  crew,  his  head  was  raised  to 
glance  around  the  narrow  horizon  ;  and  the  ship  never 
rolled  heavily  without  causing  him  to  awake.  He  believed 
that  the  brigantine  was  near,  and,  for  the  first  watch,  he 
was  not  without  expectation  that  the  two  vessels  might 
unexpectedly  meet  in  the  obscurity.  When  this  hope 
failed,  the  young  seaman  had  recourse  to  artifice  in  his 
turn,  in  order  to  entrap  one  who  appeared  so  practised  and 
so  expert  in  the  devices  of  the  sea. 

About  midnight,  when  the  watches  were  changed,  and 
the  whole  crew,  with  the  exception  of  the  idlers,  were  on 
deck,  orders  were  given  to  hoist  out  the  boats.  This 
operation,  one  of  exceeding  toil  and  difficulty  in  lightly- 
manned  ships,  was  soon  performed  on  board  the  queen's 
cruiser,  by  the  aid  of  yard  and  stay-tackles,  to  which  the 
force  of  a  hundred  seamen  was  applied.  When  four  of 
these  little  attendants  on  the  ship  were  in  the  water,  they 
wrere  entered  by  their  crews,  prepared  for  service.  Officers 
on  whom  Ludlow  could  rely  were  put  in  command  of  the 
three  smallest,  while  he  took  charge  of  the  fourth  in  per 
son.  When  all  were  ready,  and  each  inferior  had  received 
his  especial  instruction,  they  quitted  the  side  of  the  vessel, 
pulling  off  in  diverging  lines  in  the  gloom  of  the  ocean. 
The  boat  of  Ludlow  had  not  gone  fifty  fathoms  before  he 
was  perfectly  conscious  of  the  inutility  of  a  chase  ;  for  the 
obscurity  of  the  night  was  so  great  as  to  render  the  spars 
of  his  own  ship  nearly  indistinct,  even  at  that  short  dis 
tance.  After  pulling  by  compass  some  ten  or  fifteen 
minutes,  in  a  direction  that  carried  him  to  windward  of 
the  Coquette,  the  young  man  commanded  the  crew  to 
cease  rowing,  and  prepared  himself  to  wait  patiently  for 
the  result  of  his  undertaking. 

There  was  nothing  to  vary  the  monotony  of  such  a  scene 
for  an  hour,  but  the  regular  rolling  of  a  sea  that  was  but 
little  agitated,  a  few  occasional  strokes  of  the  oars  that 
were  given  in  order  to  keep  the  barge  in  its  place,  or  the 
heavy  breathing  of  some  smaller  fish  of  the  cetaceous  kind, 


200  THE  WATER-WITCH. 

as  it  rose  to  the  surface  to  inhale  the  atmosphere.  In  no 
quarter  of  the  heavens  was  anything  visible  ;  not  even  a 
star  was  peeping  out  to  cheer  the  solitude  and  silence  of 
that  solitary  place.  The  men  were  nodding  on  the  thwarts, 
and  our  young  sailor  was  about  to  relinquish  his  design  as 
fruitless,  when  suddenly  a  noise  was  heard  at  no  great  dis 
tance  from  the  spot  where  they  lay.  It  was  one  of  those 
sounds  which  would  have  been  inexplicable  to  any  but  a 
seaman,  but  which  conveyed  a  meaning  to  the  ears  of  Lud- 
low,  as  plain  as  that  which  could  be  imparted  by  speech 
to  a  landsman.  A  moaning  creak  was  followed  by  the  low 
rumbling  of  a  rope,  as  it  rubbed  on  some  hard  or  dis 
tended  substance  ;  then  succeeded  the  heavy  flap  of  can 
vas,  that,  yielding  first  to  a  powerful  impulse,  was  suddenly 
checked. 

"  Hear  ye  that?"  exclaimed  Ludlow,  a  little  above  a 
whisper.  "  'Tis  the  brigantine  jibbing  his  main-boom  ! 
Give  way,  men — see  all  ready  to  lay  him  aboard  !  " 

The  crew  started  from  their  slumbers  ;  the  plash  ot  oars 
was  heard,  and  in  the  succeeding  moment  the  sails  of  a 
vessel  gliding  through  the  obscurity,  nearly  across  their 
course,  were  visible. 

"Now  spring  to  your  oars,  men!"  continued  Ludlow, 
with  the  eagerness  of  one  engaged  in  chase.  "We  have 
him  to  advantage  and  he  is  ours  ! — a  long  pull  and  a  strong 
pull — steadily,  boys,  and  together  !  " 

The  practised  crew  did  their  duty.  It  seemed  but  a 
moment  before  they  were  close  upon  the  chase. 

"Another  stroke  of  the  oars  and  she  is  ours !"  cried 
Ludlow.  "  Grapple  ! — to  your  arms  ! — away,  boarders, 
away ! " 

These  orders  came  on  the  ears  of  the  men  with  the  effect 
of  martial  blasts.  The  crew  shouted,  the  clashing  of  arms 
was  heard,  and  the  tramp  of  feet  upon  the  deck  of  the 
vessel  announced  the  success  of  the  enterprise.  A  minute 
of  extreme  activity  and  of  noisy  confusion  followed.  The 
cheers  of  the  boarders  had  been  heard  at  a  distance  ;  and 
rockets  shot  into  the  air  from  the  other  boats,  whose  crews 
answered  the  shouts  with  manful  lungs.  The  whole  ocean 
appeared  in  a  momentary  glow,  and  the  roar  of  a  gun  from 
the  Coquette  added  to  the  fracas.  The  ship  set  several 
lanterns,  in  order  to  indicate  her  position  ;  while  blue- 
lights  and  other  marine  signals  were  constantly  burning  in 
the  approaching  boats,  as  if  those  who  guided  them  were 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  201 

anxious  to  intimidate  the   assailed  by   a   show   of   num 
bers. 

In  the  midst  of  this  scene  of  sudden  awakening  from  the 
most  profound  quiet,  Ludlow  began  to  look  about  him  in 
order  to  secure  the  principal  objects  of  the  capture.  He 
had  repeated  his  orders  about  entering  the  cabins,  and 
concerning  the  person  of  the  Skimmer  of  the  Seas,  among 
the  other  instructions  given  to  the  crews  of  the  different 
boats  ;  and  the  instant  they  found  themselves  in  quiet  pos 
session  of  the  prize,  the  young  man  dashed  into  the  private 
recesses  of  the  vessel,  with  a  heart  that  throbbed  even  more 
violently  than  during  the  ardor  of  boarding.  To  cast  open 
the  door  of  a  cabin  beneath  the  high  quarter-deck,  and  to 
descend  to  the  level  of  its  floor,  were  the  acts  of  a  moment. 
But  disappointment  and  mortification  succeeded  to  tri 
umph.  A  second  glance  was  not  necessary  to  show  that 
the  coarse  work  and  foul  smells  he  saw  and  encountered 
did  not  belong  to  the  commodious  and  even  elegant  ac 
commodations  of  the  brigantine. 

"Here  is  no  Water-Witch  !"  he  exclaimed  aloud,  under 
the  impulse  of  sudden  surprise. 

"  God  be  praised  !  "  returned  a  voice,  which  was  suc 
ceeded  by  a  frightened  face  from  a  stateroom.  "  We  were 
told  the  Rover  was  in  the  offing,  and  thought  the  yells 
could  come  from  nothing  human  !" 

The  blood  which  had  been  rushing  through  the  arteries 
and  veins  of  Ludlow  so  tumultuously,  now  crept  into  his 
cheeks,  and  was  felt  tingling  at  his  fingers'  ends.  He  gave 
a  hurried  order  to  his  men  to  re-enter  their  boat,  leaving 
everything  as  they  found  it.  A  short  conference  between 
the  commander  of  her  Majesty's  ship  Coquette  and  the 
seaman  of  the  state-room  succeeded  ;  then  the  former  hast 
ened  on  deck,  whence  his  passage  into  the  barge  occupied 
but  a  moment.  The  boat  pulled  away  from  the  fancied 
prize  amid  a  silence  that  was  uninterrupted  by  any  other 
sound  than  that  of  a  song,  which,  to  all  appearance,  came 
from  one  who  by  this  time  had  placed  himself  at  the  ves 
sel's  helm.  All  that  can  be  said  of  the  music  is  that  it  was 
suited  to  the  words,  and  all  that  could  be  heard  of  the  lat 
ter  was  a  portion  of  a  verse,  if  verse  it  might  be  called, 
which  had  exercised  the  talents  of  some  thoroughly  nau 
tical  mind.  As  we  depend  for  the  accuracy  of  the  quota 
tion  altogether  on  the  fidelity  of  the  journal  of  the  mid 
shipman  already  named,  it  is  possible  that  some  injustice 


202  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

may  be  done  the  writer  ;  but,  according  to  that  document, 
he  sang  a  strain  of  the  coasting  song  which  we  have  pre 
fixed  to  this  chapter  as  its  motto. 

The  papers  of  the  coaster  did  not  give  a  more  detailed 
description  of  her  character  and  pursuits  than  that  which 
is  contained  in  this  verse.  It  is  certain  that  the  log-book 
of  the  Coquette  was  far  less  explicit.  The  latter  merely 
said  that  "  A  coaster  called  the  Stately  Pine,  John  Tur 
ner,  master,  bound  from  New  York  to  the  Province  of 
North  Carolina,  was  boarded  at  one  o'clock  in  the  morn 
ing  ;  all  well."  But  this  description  was  not  of  a  nature 
to  satisfy  the  seamen  of  the  cruiser.  Those  who  had  been 
actually  engaged  in  the  expedition  were  much  too  excited 
to  see  things  in  their  true  colors  ;  and  coupled  with  the 
two  previous  escapes  of  the  Water-Witch,  the  event  just 
related  had  no  small  share  in  confirming  their  former 
opinions  concerning  her  character.  The  sailing-master 
was  not  now  alone  in  believing  that  all  pursuit  of  the 
brigantine  was  useless. 

But  these  were  conclusions  that  the  people  of  the  Co 
quette  made  at  their  leisure,  rather  than  those  which  sug- 
fested  themselves  on  the  instant.  The  boats,  led  by  the 
ashes  of  light,  had  joined  each  other,  and  were  rowing 
fast  toward  the  ship  before  the  pulses  of  the  actors  beat 
with  sufficient  calmness  to  admit  of  reflection  ;  nor  was  it 
until  the  adventurers  were  below,  and  in  their  hammocks, 
that  they  found  suitable  occasion  to  relate  what  had  oc 
curred  to  a  wondering  auditory.  Robert  Yarn,  the  fore- 
topman  who  had  felt  the  locks  of  the  sea-green  lady  blow 
ing  in  his  face  during  the  squall,  took  advantage  of  the 
circumstance  to  dilate  on  his  experiences  ;  and  after  hav 
ing  advanced  certain  positions  that  particularly  favored 
his  own  theories,  he  produced  one  of  the  crew  of  the 
barge  who  stood  ready  to  affirm,  in  any  court  in  Christen 
dom,  that  he  actually  saw  the  process  of  changing  the 
beautiful  and  graceful  lines  that  distinguished  the  hull  of 
the  smuggler  into  the  coarser  and  more  clumsy  model  of 
the  coaster. 

"There  are  know-nothings,"  continued  Robert,  after  he 
had  fortified  his  position  by  the  testimony  in  question, 
"  who  would  deny  that  the  water  of  the  ocean  is  blue,  be 
cause  the  stream  that  turns  the  parish  mill  happens  to  be 
muddy.  But  your  real  mariner,  who  has  lived  much  in 
foreign  parts,  is  a  man  who  understands  the  philosophy 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  203 

of  life,  and  knows  when  to  believe  a  truth  and  when  to 
scorn  a  lie.  As  for  a  vessel  changing  her  character  when 
hard  pushed  in  a  chase,  there  are  many  instances  ;  though, 
having  one  so  near  us, 'there  is  less  necessity  to  be  roving 
over  distant  seas  in  search  of  a  case  to  prove  it.  My  own 
opinion  concerning  this  here  brigantine  is  much  as  follows: 
that  is  to  say,  I  do  suppose  there  was  once  a  real  living 
hermaphrodite  of  her  build  and  rig  ;  and  that  she  might 
be  employed  in  some  such  trade  as  this  craft  is  thought  to 
be  in  ;  and  that,  in  some  unlucky  hour,  she  and  her  people 
met  with  a  mishap  that  has  condemned  her  ever  since  to 
appear  on  this  coast  at  stated  times.  She  has,  however, 
a  natural  dislike  to  a  royal  cruiser  ;  and,  no  doubt,  the 
thing  is  now  sailed  by  those  who  have  little  need  of  com 
pass  or  observation.  All  this  being  true,  it  is  not  wonder 
ful  that  when  the  boat's  crew  got  on  her  decks  they  found 
her  different  from  what  they  expected.  This  much  is  cer 
tain,  that  when  I  lay  within  a  boat-hook's  length  of  her 
spritsail-yard-arm,  she  was  a  half-rig,  with  a  woman  figure 
head,  and  as  pretty  in  show  of  gear  aloft  as  eye  ever  looked 
upon  ;  while  every  thing  below  was  as  snug  as  a  tobacco- 
box  with  the  lid  down  :  and  here  you  all  say  that  she  is  a 
high-decked  schooner,  with  nothing  ship-shape  about  her  ! 
What  more  is  wanting  to  prove  the  truth  of  what  has  been 
stated  ? — if  any  man  can  gainsay  it,  let  him  speak." 

As  no  man  did  gainsay  it,  it  is  presumed  that  the  reason 
ing  of  the  topman  gained  many  proselytes.  It  is  scarcely 
necessary  to  add  how  much  of  mystery  and  fearful  interest 
was  thrown  around  the  redoubtable  Skimmer  of  the  Seas 
by  the  whole  transaction. 

There  was  a  different  feeling  on  the  quarter-deck.  The 
two  lieutenants  put  their  heads  together  and  looked  grave; 
while  one  or  two  of  the  midshipmen,  who  had  been  in  the 
boats,  were  observed  to  whisper  with  their  messmates,  and 
to  indulge  in  smothered  laughter.  As  the  Captain,  how 
ever,  maintained  his  ordinary  dignified  and  authoritative 
mien,  the  merriment  went  no  farther,  and  was  soon  re 
pressed. 

While  on  this  subject  it  may  be  proper  to  add  that,  in 
course  of  time,  the  Stately  Pine  reached  the  capes  of 
North  Carolina  in  safety  ;  and  that,  having  effected  her 
passage  over  Edenton  bar  without  striking,  she  ascended 
the  river  to  the  point  of  her  destination.  Here  the  crew 
soon  began  to  throw  out  hints  relative  to  an  encounter  of 


204  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

their  schooner  with  a  French  cruiser.  As  the  British  Em 
pire,  even  in  its  most  remote  corner,  was  at  all  times  alive 
to  its  nautical  glory,  the  event  soon  became  the  discourse 
in  more  distant  parts  of  the  colony  ;  and  in  less  than  six 
months  the  London  journals  contained  a  very  glowing  ac 
count  of  an  engagement,  in  which  the  names  of  the  Stately 
Pine,  and  of  John  Turner,  made  some  respectable  advances 
toward  immortality. 

If  Captain  Ludlow  ever  gave  any  farther  account  of  the 
transaction  than  what  was  stated  in  the  log-book  of  his 
ship,  the  bienseance  observed  by  the  Lords  of  the  Admir 
alty  prevented  it  from  becoming  public. 

Returning  from  this  digression,  which  has  no  other  con 
nection  with  the  immediate  thread  of  the  narrative  than 
that  which  arises  from  a  reflected  interest,  we  shall  revert 
to  the  farther  proceedings  on  board  the  cruiser. 

When  the  Coquette  hoisted  in  her  boats,  that  portion  of 
the  crew  which  did  not  belong  to  the  watch  was  dismissed 
to  their  hammocks,  the  lights  were  lowered,  and  tranquil 
lity  once  more  reigned  in  the  ship.  Ludlow  sought  his 
rest,  and  although  there  is  reason  to  think  that  his  slum 
bers  were  a  little  disturbed  by  dreams,  he  remained  toler 
ably  quiet  in  the  hammock-cloths,  the  place  in  which  it 
has  already  been  said  he  saw  fit  to  take  his  repose,  until 
the  morning  watch  was  called. 

Although  the  utmost  vigilance  was  observed  among  the 
officers  and  lookouts,  during  the  rest  of  the  night,  there 
occurred  nothing  to  arouse  the  crew  from  their  usual  re 
cumbent  attitudes  between  the  guns.  The  wind  continued 
light  but  steady,  the  sea  smooth,  and  the  heavens  clouded, 
as  during  the  first  hours  of  darkness. 


CHAPTER   XX. 

The  mouse  ne'er  shunned  the  cat,  as  they  did  budge 
From  rascals  worse  than  they. — Coriolanus. 

DAY  dawned  on  the  Atlantic  with  its  pearly  light,  suc 
ceeded  by  the  usual  flushing  of  the  skies,  and  the  stately 
rising  of  the  sun  from  out  the  water.  The  instant  the 
vigilant  officer  who  commanded  the  morning  watch  caught 
the  first  glimpses  of  the  returning  brightness,  Ludlow  was 
awakened.  A  finger  laid  on  his  arm  was  sufficient  to  arouse 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  205 

one  who  slept  with  the  responsibility  of  his  station  ever 
present  to  his  mind.  A  minute  did  not  pass  before  the 
young  man  was  on  the  quarter-deck,  closely  examining 
the  heavens  and  the  horizon.  His  first  question  was  to 
ask  if  nothing  had  been  seen  during  the  watch.  The  an 
swer  was  in  the  negative. 

"  I  like  this  opening  in  the  northwest,"  observed  the 
Captain,  after  his  eye  had  thoroughly  scanned  the  whole 
of  the  still  dusky  and  limited  view.  "  Wind  will  come  out 
of  it.  Give  us  a  capful,  and  we  shall  try  the  speed  of  this 
boasted  Water-Witch  !  Do  I  not  see  a  sail  on  our  weather- 
beam  ? — or  is  it  the  crest  of  a  wave  ? " 

"  The  sea  is  getting  irregular,  and  I  have  often  been  thus 
deceived,  since  the  light  appeared." 

"  Get  more  sail  on  the  ship.  Here  is  wind  in-shore  of 
us  ;  we  will  be  ready  for  it.  See  everything  clear  to  show 
all  our  canvas." 

The  lieutenant  received  these  orders  with  the  customary 
deference,  and  communicated  them  to  his  inferiors  again, 
with  a  promptitude  that  distinguishes  sea  discipline.  The 
Coquette,  at  the  moment,  was  lying  under  her  three  top 
sails,  one  of  which  was  thrown  against  the  mast,  in  a  man 
ner  to  hold  the  vessel  as  nearly  stationary  as  the  drift  and 
the  wash  of  the  waves  would  allow.  So  soon,  however,  as 
the  officer  of  the  watch  summoned  the  people  to  exertion, 
the  massive  yards  were  swung  ;  several  light  sails  that 
served  to  balance  the  fabric  as  well  as  to  urge  it  ahead, 
were  hoisted  or  opened ;  and  the  ship  immediately  began 
to  move  through  the  water.  While  the  men  of  the  watch 
were  thus  employed,  the  flapping  of  the  canvas  announced 
the  near  approach  of  a  new  breeze. 

The  coast  of  North  America  is  liable  to  sudden  and  dan 
gerous  transitions  in  the  currents  of  the  air.  It  is  a  cir 
cumstance  of  no  unusual  occurrence  for  a  gale  to  alter  its 
direction  with  so  little  warning,  as  greatly  to  jeopard  the 
safety  of  a  ship,  or  even  to  overwhelm  her.  It  has  been  often 
said  that  the  celebrated  Ville  de  Paris  was  lost  through 
one  of  these  violent  changes,  her  captain  having  inadver 
tently  hove-to  the  vessel  under  too  much  after-sail,  a  mis 
take  by  which  he  lost  the  command  of  his  ship  during  the 
pressing  emergency  that  ensued.  Whatever  may  have 
been  the  fact  as  regards  that  ill-fated  prize,  it  was  certain 
that  Ludlovv  was  perfectly  aware  of  the  hazards  that  some 
times  accompany  the  first  blasts  of  a  northwest  wind  on  his 


206  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

native  coast,  and  that  he  never  forgot  to  be  prepared  for 
the  danger. 

When  the  wind  from  the  land  struck  the  Coquette,  the 
streak  of  light,  which  announced  the  appearance  of  the 
sun,  had  been  visible  for  several  minutes.  As  the  broad 
sheets  of  vapor,  that  had  veiled  the  heavens  during  the  prev 
alence  of  the  southeasterly  breeze,  were  rolled  up  into  dense 
masses  of  clouds,  like  some  immense  curtain  that  is  with 
drawn  from  before  its  scene,  the  water,  no  less  than  the 
sky,  became  instantly  visible  in  every  quarter.  It  is 
scarcely  necessary  to  say,  how  eagerly  the  gaze  of  our 
young  seaman  ran  over  the  horizon,  in  order  to  observe 
the  objects  which  might  come  within  its  range.  At  first 
disappointment  was  plainly  painted  in  his  countenance; 
then  succeeded  the  animated  eye  and  flushed  cheek  of 
success. 

"  I  had  thought  her  gone  ! "  he  said  to  his  immediate 
subordinate  in  authority.  "  But  here  she  is,  to  leeward, 
just  within  the  edge  of  that  driving  mist,  and  as  dead  under 
our  lee  as  a  kind  fortune  can  place  her.  Keep  the  ship 
away,  sir,  and  cover  her  with  canvas,  from  her  trucks 
down.  Call  the  people  from  their  hammocks,  and  show 
yon  insolent  what  her  Majesty's  sloop  can  do  at  need  ! " 

This  command  was  the  commencement  of  a  general  and 
hasty  movement,  in  which  every  seaman  in  the  ship  ex 
erted  his  powers  to  the  utmost.  All  hands  were  no  sooner 
called,  than  the  depths  of  the  vessel  gave  up  their  tenants, 
who,  joining  their  force  to  that  of  the  watch  on  deck, 
quickly  covered  the  spars  of  the  Coquette  with  a  snow- 
white  cloud.  Not  content  to  catch  the  breeze  on  such 
surfaces  as  the  ordinary  yards  could  distend,  long  booms 
were  thrust  out  over  the  water,  and  sail  was  set  beyond 
sail,  until  the  bending  masts  would  bear  no  more.  The 
low  hull  which  supported  this  towering  and  complicated 
mass  of  ropes,  spars,  and  sails,  yielded  to  the  powerful 
impulse,  and  the  fabric,  which,  in  addition  to  its  crowd 
of  human  beings,  sustained  so  heavy  a  load  of  artillery, 
with  all  its  burden  of  stores  and  ammunition,  began  to 
divide  the  waves  with  the  steady  and  imposing  force  of  a 
vast  momentum.  The  seas  curled  and  broke  against  her 
sides,  like  water  washing  the  rocks,  the  steady  ship  feeling, 
as  yet,  no  impression  from  their  feeble  efforts.  As  the 
wind  increased,  however,  and  the  vessel  went  farther  from 
the  land,'  the  surface  of  the  ocean  gradually  grew  more 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  207 

agitated,  until  the  highlands,  which  lay  over  the  villa  of 
the  Lust  in  Rust,  finally  sank  into  the  sea,  when  the 
topgallant  royals  of  the  ship  were  seen  describing  wide 
segments  of  circles  against  the  heavens,  and  her  dark 
sides  occasionally  rose,  from  a  long  and  deep  roll,  glitter 
ing  with  the  element  that  sustained  her. 

When  Ludlow  first  descried  the  object  which  he  believed 
to  be  the  chase,  it  seemed  a  motionless  speck  on  the 
margin  of  the  sea.  It  had  now  grown  into  the  magnitude 
and  symmetry  of  the  well-known  brigantine.  Her  slight 
and  attenuated  spars  were  plainly  to  be  seen,  rolling  easily 
but  wide  with  the  constant  movement  of  the  hull,  and 
with  no  sail  spread  but  that  which  was  necessary  to  keep 
the  vessel  in  command  on  the  billows.  When  the  Coquette 
was  just  within  the  range  of  a  cannon,  the  canvas  began 
to  unfold  ;  and  it  was  soon  apparent  that  the  Skimmer  of 
the  Seas  was  preparing  to  fight. 

The  first  manoeuvre  of  the  Water  Witch  was  an  attempt 
to  gain  the  wind  of  her  pursuer.  A  short  experiment 
appeared  to  satisfy  those  who  governed  the  brigantine 
that  the  effort  was  vain  while  the  wind  was  so  fresh  and 
the  water  so  rough.  She  wore,  and  crowded  sail  on  the 
opposite  tack,  in  order  to  try  her  speed  with  the  cruiser  ; 
nor  was  it  until  the  result  sufficiently  showed  the  danger 
of  permitting  the  other  to  get  any  nigher,  that  she  finally 
put  her  helm  a-weather,  and  ran  off,  like  a  sea-fowl  resting 
on  its  wing,  with  the  wind  over  her  taffrail. 

The  two  vessels  now  presented  the  spectacle  of  a  stern 
chase.  The  brigantine  also  opened  the  folds  of  all  her 
sails,  and  there  arose  a  pyramid  of  canvas  over  the  nearly 
imperceptible  hull,  that  resembled  a  fantastic  cloud  driving 
above  the  sea,  with  a  velocity  that  seemed  to  rival  the 
passage  of  the  vapor  that  floated  in  the  upper  air.  As 
equal  skill  directed  the  movements  of  the  two  vessels,  and 
the  same  breeze  pressed  upon  their  sails,  it  was  long 
before  there  was  any  perceptible  difference  in  their  prog 
ress.  Hour  passed  after  hour,  and  were  it  not  for  the 
sheets  of  white  foam  that  wrere  dashed  from  the  bows  of 
the  Coquette,  and  the  manner  in  which  she  even  out 
stripped  the  caps  of  the  combing  waves,  her  commander 
might  have  fancied  his  vessel  ever  in  the  same  spot. 
While  the  ocean  presented,  on  every  side,  the  same 
monotonous  and  rolling  picture,  there  lay  the  chase, 
seemingly  neither  a  foot  nearer  nor  a  foot  farther  than 


208  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

when  the  trial  of  speed  began.  A  dark  line  would  rise  on 
the  crest  of  a  wave,  and  then,  sinking  again,  leave  nothing 
visible  but  the  yielding  and  waving  cloud  of  canvas  that 
danced  along  the  sea. 

"I  had  hoped  for  better  things  of  the  ship,  Master  Try 
sail  !  "  said  Ludlow,  who  had  long  been  seated  on  a  knight- 
head,  attentively  watching  the  progress  of  the  chase.  "  We 
are  buried  to  the  bob-stays  ;  yet,  there  yon  fellow  lies, 
nothing  plainer  than  when  he  first  showed  his  studding- 
sails  !  " 

"  And  there  he  will  lie,  Captain  Ludlow,  while  the  light 
lasts.  I  have  chased  the  rover  in  the  narrow  seas,  till  the 
cliffs  of  England  melted  away  like  the  cap  of  a  wave, 
and  we  had  raised  the  sandbanks  of  Holland  as  high  as 
the  sprit-sailyard  ;  yet  what  good  came  of  it  !  The  rogue 
played  with  us,  as  your  sportsman  trifles  with  the  en 
tangled  trout  ;  and  when  we  thought  we  had  him  he 
would  shoot  without  the  range  of  our  guns,  with  as  little 
exertion  as  a  ship  slides  into  the  water  after  the  spur 
shoars  are  knocked  from  under  her  bows." 

"  Aye,  but  the  Druid  had  a  little  of  the  rust  of  antiquity 
about  her.  The  Coquette  has  never  got  a  chase  under  her 
lee  that  she  did  not  speak." 

"  I  disparage  no  ship,  sir,  for  character  is  character 
and  none  should  speak  lightly  of  their  fellow-creatures, 
and  least  of  all,  of  anything  that  follows  the  sea.  I  allow 
the  Coquette  to  be  a  lively  boat  on  a  wind,  and  a  real  scud- 
der  going  large  ;  but  one  should  know  the  wright  that 
fashioned  yonder  brigantine  before  he  ventured  to  say 
that  any  vessel  in  her  Majesty's  fleet  can  hold  way  with 
her,  when  she  is  driven  hard." 

"  These  opinions,  Trysail,  are  fitter  for  the  tales  of  a 
top  than  for  the  mouth  of  one  who  walks  the  quarter  deck." 

"  I  should  have  lived  to  little  purpose,  Captain  Ludlow, 
not  to  know  that  what  was  philosophy  in  my  younger  days 
is  not  philosophy  now.  They  say  the  earth  is  round,  which 
is  my  own  opinion — first,  because  the  glorious  Sir  Francis 
Drake,  and  divers  other  Englishmen,  have  gone  in,  as  it 
were,  at  one  end  and  out  at  the  other  ;  no  less  than  several 
seamen  of  other  nations,  to  say  nothing  of  one  Magellan, 
who  pretends  to  have  been  the  first  man  to  make  the  pas 
sage,  which  I  take  to  be  nothing  more  nor  less  than  a 
Portugee  lie,  it  being  altogether  unreasonable  to  suppose 
that  a  Portugee  should  do  what  an  Englishman  had  not  yet 


THE  WATER-WITCH.  209 

thought  of  doing  ;  secondly,  if  the  world  were  not  round, 
or  some  such  shape,  why  should  we  see  the  small  sails  of  a 
ship  before  her  courses,  or  why  should  her  truck  heave  up 
into  the  horizon  before  the  hull  ?  They  say,  moreover,  that 
the  world  turns  round,  which  is  no  doubt  true  ;  and  it  is 
just  as  true  that  its  opinions  turn  round  with  it,  which  brings 
me  to  the  object  of  my  remark — yon  fellow  shows  more  of 
his  broadside,  sir,  than  common  !  He  is  edging  in  for  the 
land,  which  must  lie  here-away  on  our  larboard  beam,  in 
order  to  get  into  smoother  water.  This  tumbling  about 
is  not  favorable  to  your  light  craft,  let  who  will  build 
them." 

"  I  had  hoped  to  drive  him  off  the  coast.  Could  we  get 
him  fairly  into  the  Gulf  Stream,  he  would  be  ours,  for  he 
is  too  low  in  the  water  to  escape  us  in  the  short  seas.  We 
must  force  him  into  blue  water,  though  our  upper  spars 
crack  in  the  struggle  !  Go  aft,  Mr.  Hopper,  and  tell  the 
officer  of  the  wratch  to  bring  the  ship's  head  up,  a  point  and 
a  half,  to  the  northward,  and  to  give  a  slight  pull  on  the 
braces." 

"What  a  mainsail  the  rogue  carries  !  it  is  as  broad  as  the 
instructions  of  a  roving  commission,  with  a  hoist  like  the 
promotion  of  an  admiral's  son  !  How  everything  pulls 
aboard  him  !  A  thorough-bred  sails  that  brigantine,  let 
him  come  whence  he  may  !  " 

"  I  think  we  near  him  !  The  rough  water  is  helping  us, 
and  we  are  closing.  Steer  small,  fellow  ;  steer  small  !  You 
see  the  color  of  his  mouldings  begins  to  show,  when  he  lifts 
on  the  seas." 

"  The  sun  touches  his  side — yet,  Captain  Ludlow,  you 
may  be  right — for  here  is  a  man  in  his  foretop,  plainly 
enough  to  be  seen.  A  shot  or  two,  among  his  spars  and 
sails,  might  now  do  service." 

Ludlow  affected  not  to  hear  ;  but  the  first  lieutenant 
having  come  on  the  forecastle,  seconded  this  opinion  by 
remarking  that  their  position  would  indeed  enable  them 
to  use  the  chase-gun,  without  losing  any  distance.  As 
Trysail  sustained  his  former  assertion  by  truths  that  were 
too  obvious  to  be  refuted,  the  commander  of  the  cruiser 
reluctantly  issued  an  order  to  clear  away  the  forward  gun, 
and  to  shift  it  into  the  bridle-port.  The  interested  and  at 
tentive  seamen  were  not  long  in  performing  this  service  ; 
and  a  report  was  quickly  made  to  the  Captain  that  the 
piece  was  ready. 

14 


210  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

Ludlow  then  descended  from  his  post  on  the  knight- 
head,  and  pointed  the  cannon  himself. 

"Knock  away  the  quoin  entirely,"  he  said  to  the  captain 
of  the  gun,  when  he  had  got  the  range  ;  "now  mind  her 
when  she  lifts  forward  ;  keep  the  ship  steady,  sir — fire  ! " 

Those  gentlemen  "who  live  at  home  at  ease,"  are  often 
surprised  to  read  of  combats  in  which  so  much  powder, 
and  hundreds  and  even  thousands  of  shot  are  expended, 
with  so  little  loss  of  human  life  ;  while  a  struggle  on  the 
land  of  less  duration,  and  seemingly  of  less  obstinacy, 
shall  sweep  away  a  multitude.  The  secret  of  the  difference 
lies  in  the  uncertainty  of  aim  on  an  element  as  restless  as 
the  sea.  The  largest  ship  is  rarely  quite  motionless,  when 
on  the  open  ocean  ;  and  it  is  not  necessary  to  tell  the 
reader  that  the  smallest  variation  in  the  direction  of  a  gun 
at  its  muzzle  becomes  magnified  to  many  yards  at  the  dis 
tance  of  a  few  hundred  feet.  Marine  gunnery  has  no  little 
resemblance  to  the  skill  of  the  fowler  ;  since  a  calculation 
for  a  change  in  the  position  of  the  object  must  commonly 
be  made  in  both  cases,  with  the  additional  embarrassment 
on  the  part  of  the  seaman  of  an  allowance  for  a  compli 
cated  movement  in  the  piece  itself. 

How  far  the  gun  of  the  Coquette  was  subject  to  the  in 
fluence  of  these  causes,  or  how  far  the  desire  of  her  captain 
to  protect  those  whom  he  believed  to  be  onboard  the  brig- 
antine  had  an  effect  on  the  direction  taken  by  its  shot, 
will  probably  never  be  known.  It  is  certain,  however,  that 
when  the  stream  of  fire,  followed  by  its  curling  cloud,  had 
flashed  out  upon  the  water,  fifty  eyes  sought  in  vain  to 
trace  the  course  of  the  iron  messenger  among  the  sails  and 
riggings  of  the  Water- Witch.  The  symmetry  of  her  beau 
tiful  rig  was  undisturbed,  and  the  unconscious  fabric  still 
glided  over  the  waves  with  its  customary  ease  and  velocity. 
Ludlow  had  a  reputation  among  his  crew  for-  some  skill 
in  the  direction  of  a  gun.  The  failure,  therefore,  in  no  de 
gree  aided  in  changing  the  opinions  of  the  common  men 
concerning  the  character  of  the  chase.  Many  shook  their 
heads,  and  more  than  one  veteran  tar,  as  he  paced  his  nar 
row  limits  with  both  hands  thrust  into  the  bosom  of  his 
jacket,  was  heard  to  utter  his  belief  of  the  inefficacy  of 
ordinary  shot  in  bringing  to  that  brigantine.  It  was 
necessary,  however,  to  repeat  the  experiment  for  the  sake 
of  appearances.  The  gun  was  several  times  discharged, 
and  always  with  the  same  want  of  success. 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  211 

"  There  is  little  use  in  wasting  our  powder,  at  this  dis 
tance,  and  with  so  heavy  a  sea,"  said  Ludlow,  quitting  the 
cannon,  after  a  fifth  and  fruitless  essay.  "  I  shall  fire  no 
more.  Look  at  your  sails,  gentlemen,  and  see  that  every 
thing  draws.  We  must  conquer  with  our  heels,  and  let 
the  artillery  rest.  Secure  the  gun." 

"  The  piece  is  ready,  sir,"  observed  its  captain,  presum 
ing  on  his  known  favor  with  the  commander,  though  he 
qualified  the  boldness  by  taking  off  his  hat,  in  a  sufficiently 
respectful  manner  ;  "'tis  a  pity  to  balk  it ! " 

"  Fire  it  yourself,  then,  and  return  the  piece  to  its  port," 
carelessly  returned  the  Captain,  willing  to  show  that  others 
could  be  as  unlucky  as  himself. 

The  men  quartered  at  the  gun,  left  alone,  busied  them 
selves  in  executing  the  order. 

"  Run  in  the  quoin,  and,  blast  the  brig,  give  her  a  point 
blanker  !  "  said  the  bluff  old  seaman  who  was  intrusted 
with  a  local  authority  over  that  particular  piece.  "  None 
of  your  geometry  calculations  for  me  !" 

The  crew  obeyed,  and  the  match  was  instantly  applied. 
A  rising  sea,  however,  aided  the  object  of  the  directly- 
minded  old  tar,  or  our  narration  of  the  exploits  of  the  piece 
would  end  with  the  discharge,  since  its  shot  would  other 
wise  have  inevitably  plunged  into  a  wave  within  a  few 
yards  of  its  muzzle.  The  bows  of  the  ship  rose  with  the 
appearance  of  the  smoke,  the  usual  brief  expectation  fol 
lowed,  then  fragments  of  wood  were  seen  flying  above  the 
topmast-studding-sail-boom  of  the  brigantine,  which,  at 
at  the  same  time,  flew  forward,  carrying  with  it  and  en 
tirely  deranging  the  two  important  sails  that  depended  on 
the  spar  for  support. 

"So  much  for  plain  sailing  !"  cried  the  delighted  old 
tar,  slapping  the  breech  of  the  gun  affectionately.  "  Witch 
or  no  witch,  there  go  two  of  her  jackets  at  once  ;  and  by 
the  Captain's  good  will,  we  shall  shortly  take  off  some 
more  of  her  clothes  !  In  sponge — 

"  The  order  is  to  run  the  gun  aft,  and  secure  it,"  said  a 
merry  midshipman,  leaping  on  the  heel  of  the  bowsprit  to 
gaze  at  the  confusion  on  board  the  chase.  "  The  rogue  is 
nimble  enough  in  saving  his  canvas  !  " 

There  was,  in  truth,  necessity  for  exertion  on  the  part 
of  those  who  governed  the  movements  of  the  brigantine. 
The  two  sails  that  were  rendered  temporarily  useless  were 
of  great  importance,  with  the  wind  over  the  taffrail.  The 


212  THE  WATER-WITCH. 

distance  between  the  two  vessels  did  not  exceed  a  mile, 
and  the  danger  of  lessening  it  was  too  obvious  to  admit  of 
delay.  The  ordinary  movements  of  seamen  in  critical  mo 
ments  are  dictated  by  a  quality  that  resembles  instinct 
more  than  thought.  The  constant  hazards  of  a  dangerous 
and  delicate  profession,  in  which  delay  may  prove  fatal, 
and  in  which  life,  character  and  property  are  so  often  de 
pendent  on  the  self-possession  and  resources  of  him  who 
commands,  beget  in  time  so  keen  a  knowledge  of  the  nec 
essary  expedients  as  to  cause  it  to  approach  a  natural 
quality. 

The  studding-sails  of  the  Water- Witch  were  no  sooner 
fluttering  in  the  air,  than  the  brigantine  slightly  changed 
her  course,  like  some  bird  whose  wing  has  been  touched 
by  the  fowler  ;  and  her  head  was  seen  inclining  as  much 
to  the  south  as  a  moment  before  it  had  pointed  northward. 
The  variation,  trifling  as  it  was,  brought  the  wind  on  the 
opposite  quarter,  and  caused  the  boom  that  distended  her 
mainsail  to  jibe.  At  the  same  instant,  the  studding-sails, 
which  had  been  flapping  under  the  lee  of  this  vast  sheet  of 
canvas,  swelled  to  their  utmost  tension  ;  and  the  vessel  lost 
little,  if  any,  of  the  power  which  urged  her  through  the 
water.  Even  while  this  evolution  was  so  rapidly  performed, 
men  were  seen  aloft,  nimbly  employed,  as  it  has  been  al 
ready  expressed  by  the  observant  little  midshipman,  in  se 
curing  the  crippled  sails. 

"A  rogue  has  a  quiet  wit,"  said  Trysail,  whose  critical 
eye  suffered  no  movement  of  the  chase  to  escape  him  ; 
"  and  he  has  need  of  it,  sail  from  what  haven  he  may  !  Yon 
brigantine  is  prettily  handled  !  Little  have  we  gained  by 
our  fire  but  the  gunner's  account  of  ammunition  ex 
pended  ;  and  little  has  the  freetrader  lost  but  a  studding- 
sail-boom,  which  will  work  up  very  well  yet  into  topgal 
lant  yards,  and  other  light  spars,  for  such  a  cockle-shell." 

"  It  is  something  gained  to  force  him  off  the  land  into 
rougher  water,"  Ludlow  mildly  answered.  "  I  think  we 
see  his  quarter-pieces  more  plainly  than  before  the  gun 
was  used." 

"  No  doubt,  sir,  no  doubt.  I  got  a  glimpse  of  his  lower 
dead-eyes  a  minute  ago  ;  but  I  have  not  been  near  enough 
to  see  the  saucy  look  of  the  hussy  under  his  bowsprit  ;  yet 
there  goes  the  brigantine,  at  large  !  " 

"  I  am  certain  that  we  are  closing,"  thoughtfully  re- 
turned  Ludlow.  "  Hand  me  the  glass,  quartermaster." 


THE  WATER-WITCH.  213 

Trysail  watched  the  countenance  of  his  young  com 
mander  as  he  examined  the  chase  with  the  aid  of  the  in 
strument  ;  and  he  thought  he  read  strong  discontent  in  his 
features  when  the  other  laid  it  aside. 

"  Does  he  show  no  signs  of  coming  back  to  his  alle 
giance,  sir,  or  does  the  rogue  hold  out  in  obstinacy  ? " 

"  The  figure  on  his  poop  is  the  bold  man  who  ventured 
on  board  the  Coquette,  and  who  now  seems  quite  as 
much  at  his  ease  as  when  he  exhibited  his  effrontery 
here  !  " 

"There  is  a  look  of  deep  water  about  that  rogue  ;  and 
I  thought  that  her  Majesty  had  gained  a  prize  when  he 
first  put  foot  on  our  decks.  You  are  right  enough,  sir,  in 
calling  him  a  bold  one  !  The  fellow's  impudence  would 
unsettle  the  discipline  of  a  whole  ship's  company,  though 
every  other  man  were  an  officer,  and  all  the  rest  priests. 
He  took  up  as  much  room  in  walking  the  quarter-deck  as 
a  ninety  in  wearing  ;  and  the  truck  is  not  driven  on  the 
head  of  that  topgallant-mast  half  as  hard  as  the  hat  is  riv 
eted  to  his  head.  The  fellow  has  no  reverence  for  a  pen 
nant  !  I  managed,  in  shifting  pennants  at  sunset,  to  make 
the  fly  of  the  one  that  came  down  flap  in  his  impudent 
countenance,  byway  of  a  hint  ;  and  he  took  it  as  a  Dutch 
man  takes  a  signal — that  is,  as  a  question  to  be  answered 
in  the  next  watch.  A  little  polish  got  on  the  quarter-deck 
of  a  man-of-war  would  make  a  philosopher  of  the  rogue, 
and  fit  him  for  any  company  short  of  heaven  !  " 

"There  goes  a  new  boom  aloft  !  "  cried  Ludlow,  inter 
rupting  the  discursive  discourse  of  the  master.  "  He  is 
bent  on  getting  in  with  the  shore." 

"  If  these  puffs  come  much  heavier,"  returned  the  mas 
ter,  whose  opinions  of  the  chase  vacillated  with  his  pro 
fessional  feelings,  "  we  shall  have  him  at  our  own  play, 
and  try  the  qualities  of  his  brigantine.  The  sea  has  a 
green  spot  to  windward,  and  there  are  strong  symptoms  of 
a  squall  on  the  water.  One  can  almost  see  into  the  upper 
world,  with  an  air  clear  as  this.  Your  northers  sweep 
the  mists  off  America,  and  leave  both  sea  and  land  bright 
as  a  school-boy's  face,  before  the  tears  have  dimmed  it, 
after  the  first  flogging.  You  have  sailed  in  the  southern 
seas,  Captain  Ludlow,  I  know  ;  for  we  were  shipmates 
among  the  islands,  years  that  are  passed  ;  but  I  never 
heard  whether  you  have  run  the  Gibraltar  passage,  and 
seen  the  blue  water  that  lies  among  the  Italy  mountains  ?" 


214  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

"  I  made  a  cruise  against  the  Barbary  states  when  a  lad; 
and  we  had  business  that  took  us  to  the  northern  shore." 

"  Aye  !  'Tis  your  northern  shore  I  mean  !  There  is 
not  a  foot  of  it  all,  from  the  rock  at  the  entrance  to  the 
Faro  of  Messina,  tl.::t  eye  of  mine  hath  not  seen.  No 
want  of  lookouts  and  landmarks  in  that  quarter  !  Here 
we  are  close  aboard  of  America,  which  lies  some  eight  or 
ten  leagues  there-away  to  the  northward  of  us,  and  some 
forty  astern  ;  and  yet,  if  it  were  not  for  our  departure, 
with  the  color  of  the  water,  and  a  knowledge  of  the 
soundings,  one  might  believe  himself  in  the  middle  of  the 
Atlantic.  Many  a  good  ship  plumps  upon  America  be 
fore  she  knows  where  she  is  going  ;  while  in  yon  sea  you 
may  run  for  a  mountain,  with  its  side  in  full  view,  four- 
and-twenty  hours  on  a  stretch,  before  you  see  the  town  at 
its  foot." 

"  Nature  has  compensated  for  the  difference,  in  defend 
ing  the  approach  to  this  coast  by  the  Gulf  Stream,  with 
its  floating  weeds  and  different  temperature  ;  while  the 
lead  may  feel  its  way  in  the  darkest  night,  for  no  roof  of  a 
house  is  more  gradual  than  the  ascent  of  this  shore,  from  a 
hundred  fathoms  to  a  sandy  beach." 

"  I  said  many  a  good  ship,  Captain  Ltidlow,  and  not  good 
navigator.  No,  no,  your  thorough-bred  knows  the  differ 
ence  between  green  water  and  the  blue,  as  well  as  between 
a  hand-lead  and  the  deep  sea.  But  I  remember  to  have 
missed  an  observation,  once,  when  running  for  "Genoa,  be 
fore  a  mistral.  There  was  a  likelihood  of  rnaking  our  land 
fall  in  the  night,  and  the  greater  the  need  of  knowing  the 
ship's  position.  I  have  often  thought,  sir,  that  the  ocean 
was  like  human  life — a  blind  track  for  all  that  is  ahead,  and 
none  of  the  clearest  as  respects  that  which  has  been  passed 
over.  Many  a  man  runs  headlong  to  his  own  destruction, 
and  many  a  ship  steers  for  a  reef  under  a  press  of  canvas. 
To-morrow  is  a  fog,  into  which  none  of  us  can  see  ;  and 
even  the  present  time  is  little  better  than  thick  weather, 
into  which  we  look  without  getting  much  information. 
Well,  as  I  was  observing,  here  lay  our  course,  with  the 
wind  as  near  aft  as  need  be,  blowing  much  as  at  present ; 
for  your  French  mistra/has  a  family  likeness  to  the  Ameri 
can  norther.  We  had  the  maintopgallant-sail  set,  without 
studding-sails,  for  we  began  to  think  of  the  deep  bight  in 
which  Genoa  is  stowed,  and  the  sun  had  dipped  more  than 
an  hour,  As  our  good  fortune  would  have  it,  clouds  and 


THE   WATER- WITCH.  215 

mistrals  do  not  agree  long,  and  we  got  a  clear  horizon.  Here 
lay  a  mountain  of  snow,  northerly,  a  little  west,  and  there 
lay  another,  southerly  with  easting.  The  best  ship  in 
Queen  Anne's  navy  could  not  have  fetched  either  in  a  day's 
run,  yet  there  we  saw  them,  as  plainly  as  if  anchored  under 
their  lee  !  A  look  at  the  chart  soon  gave  us  an  insight 
into  our  situation.  The  first  were  the  Alps,  as  they  call 
them,  being  as  I  suppose  the  French  for  apes,  of  which 
there  are  no  doubt  plenty  in  those  regions  ;  and  the  other 
were  the  highlands  of  Corsica,  both  being  as  white,  in 
midsummer,  as  the  hair  of  a  man  of  four-score.  You  see, 
sir,  we  had  only  to  set  the  two,  by  compass,  to  know,  with 
in  a  league  or  two,  where  we  were.  So  we  ran  till  mid 
night,  and  hove-to  ;  in  the  morning  we  took  the  light  to 
feel  for  our  haven " 

"  The  brigantine  is  jibbing  again  !  "  cried  Ludlow.  "  He 
is  determined  to  shoal  his  water  ! " 

The  master  glanced  an  eye  around  the  horizon,  and  then 
pointed  steadily  toward  the  north.  Ludlow  observed  the 
gesture,  and,  turning  his  head,  he  was  at  no  loss  to  read  its 
meaning. 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

I  am  gone,  sir, 
And  anon,  sir, 
I'll  be  with  you  again. — Twelfth  Night. 

ALTHOUGH  it  is  contrary  to  the  apparent  evidence  of  our 
senses,  there  is  no  truth  more  certain  than  that  the  course 
of  most  gales  of  wind  comes  from  the  leeward.  The  effects 
of  a  tempest  shall  be  felt  for  hours,  at  a  point  that  is  seem 
ingly  near  its  termination,  before  they  are  witnessed  at 
another  that  appears  to  be  nearer  its  source.  Experience 
has  also  shown  that  a  storm  is  more  destructive  at  or  near 
its  actual  place  of  commencement  than  at  that  whence  it 
may  seem  to  come.  The  easterly  gales  that  so  often  visit 
the  coast  of  the  republic  commit  their  ravages  in  the  bays 
of  Pennsylvania  and  Virginia,  or  along  the  sounds  of  the 
Carolinas,  hours  before  their  existence  is  known  in  the 
States  farther  east ;  and  the  same  wind  which  is  a  tempest 
at  Hatteras  becomes  softened  to  a  breeze  near  the  Penob- 
scot.  There  is,  however,  little  mystery  in  this  apparent 
phenomenon.  The  vacuum  which  has  been  created  in  the 


216  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

air,  and  which  is  the  origin  of  all  winds,  must  be  filled 
first  from  the  nearest  stores  of  the  atmosphere  ;  and  as 
each  region  contributes  to  produce  the  equilibrium,  it 
must,  in  return,  receive  other  supplies  from  those  which 
lie  beyond.  Were  a  given  quantity  of  water  to  be  sud 
denly  abstracted  from  the  sea,  the  empty  place  would  be 
replenished  by  a  torrent  from  the  nearest  surrounding 
fluid,  whose  level  would  be  restored  in  succession  by  sup 
plies  that  were  less  and  less  violently  contributed.  Were 
the  abstraction  made  on  a  shoal,  or  near  the  land,  the  flow 
would  be  the  greatest  from  that  quarter  where  the  fluid 
had  the  greatest  force,  and  with  it  would  consequently 
come  the  current. 

But  while  there  is  so  close  an  affinity  between  the  two 
fluids,  the  workings  of  the  viewless  winds  are,  in  their  nat 
ure,  much  less  subject  to  the  powers  of  human  compre 
hension  than  those  of  the  sister  element.  The  latter  are 
frequently  subject  to  the  direct  and  manifest  influence  of 
the  former,  while  the  effects  produced  by  the  ocean  on  the 
the  air  are  hid  from  our  knowledge  by  the  subtle  character 
of  the  agency.  Vague  and  erratic  currents,  it  is  true,  are 
met  in  the  waters  of  the  ocean  ;  but  their  origin  is  easily 
referred  to  the  action  of  the  winds,  while  we  often  remain 
in  uncertainty  as  to  the  immediate  causes  which  give  birth 
to  the  breezes  themselves.  Thus  the  mariner,  even  while 
the  victim  of  the  irresistible  waves,  studies  the  heavens  as 
the  known  source  from  whence  the  danger  comes  ;  and 
while  he  struggles  fearfully,  amid  the  strife  of  the  elements, 
to  preserve  the  balance  of  the  delicate  and  fearful  machine 
he  governs,  he  well  knows  that  the  one  which  presents  the 
most  visible,  and  to  a  landsman  much  the  most  formidable 
object  of  apprehension,  is  but  the  instrument  of  the  un 
seen  and  powerful  agent  that  heaps  the  water  on  his  path. 

It  is  in  consequence  of  this  difference  in  power,  and  of 
the  mystery  that  envelops  the  workings  of  the  atmosphere, 
that,  in  all  ages,  seamen  have  been  the  subjects  of  super 
stition  in  respect  to  the  winds.  There  is  more  or  less  of 
the  dependency  of  ignorance  in  the  manner  with  which 
they  have  regarded  the  changes  of  that  fickle  element. 
Even  the  mariners  of  our  own  times  are  not  exempt  from 
this  weakness.  The  thoughtless  ship-boy  is  reproved  if 
his  whistle  be  heard  in  the  howling  ol  the  gale  ;  and  the 
officer  sometimes  betrays  a  feeling  of  uneasiness,  if  at  such 
a  moment  he  should  witness  any  violation  of  the  received 


THE  WATER-WITCH.  217 

opinions  of  his  profession.  He  fisre*fcimself  in  the  situa 
tion  of  one  whose  ears  have  drunk  in  legends  of  supernat 
ural  appearances,  which  a  better  instructiorPTias  taught 
him  to  condemn  ;  and  who,  when  placed  in  situations  to 
awaken  their  recollection,  finds  the  necessity  of  drawing 
upon  his  reason  to  quiet  emotions  that  he  might  hesitate 
to  acknowledge. 

When  Trysail  directed  the  attention  of  his  young  com 
mander  to  the  heavens,  however,  it  was  more  with  the  in 
telligence  of  an  experienced  mariner  than  with  any  of  the 
sensations  to  which  allusion  has  just  been  made.  A  cloud 
had  suddenly  appeared  on  the  water,  and  long,  ragged 
portions  of  the  vapor  were  pointing  from  it,  in  a  manner 
to  give  it  what  seamen  term  a  windy  appearance. 

"  We  shall  have  more  than  we  want  with  this  canvas  !  " 
said  the  master,  after  both  he  and  his  commander  had 
studied  the  appearance  of  the  mist  for  a  sufficient  time. 
"  That  fellow  is  a  mortal  enemy  of  lofty  sails  ;  he  likes  to 
see  nothing  but  naked  sticks  up  in  his  neighborhood  !  " 

"I  think  his  appearance  will  force  the  brigantine  to 
shorten  sail,"  returned  the  Captain.  "We  will  hold  on  to 
the  last,  while  he  must  begin  to  take  in  soon,  or  the  squall 
will  come  upon  him  too  fast  for  a  light-handed  vessel." 

"  'Tis  a  cruiser's  advantage  !  yet  the  rogue  shows  no 
signs  of  lowering  a  single  cloth  !  " 

"We  will  look  to  our  own  spars,"  said  Ludlow,  turning 
to  the  lieutenant  of  the  watch.  "Call  the  people  up,  sir, 
and  see  all  ready  for  yonder  cloud." 

The  order  was  succeeded  by  the  customary  hoarse  sum 
mons  of  the  boatswain,  who  prefaced  the  effort  of  his  lungs 
by  a  long,  shrill  winding  of  his  call,  above  the  hatchways 
of  the  ship.  The  cry  of  "  All  hands  shorten  saiJ,  ahoy  !  " 
soon  brought  the  crew  from  the  depths  of  the  vessel  to 
her  upper  deck.  Each  trained  seaman  silently  took  his 
station  ;  and  after  the  ropes  were  cleared,  and  the  few 
necessary  preparations  made,  all  stood  in  attentive  silence, 
awaiting  the  sounds  that  might  next  proceed  from  the 
trumpet,  which  the  first  lieutenant  had  now  assumed  in 
person. 

The  superiority  of  sailing,  which  a  ship  fitted  for  war 
possesses  over  one  employed  in  commerce,  proceeds  from 
a  variety  of  causes.  The  first  is  in  the  construction  of  the 
hull,  which  in  the  one  is  as  justly  fitted  as  the  art  of  naval 
architecture  will  allow,  to  the  double  purposes  of  speed 


218  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

and  buoyancy  ;  while  in  the  other,  the  desire  of  gain  in 
duces  great  sacrifices  of  these  important  objects  in  order 
that  the  vessel  may  be  burdensome.  Next  comes  the  dif 
ference  in  the  rig,  which  is  not  only  more  square,  but  more 
lofty  in  a  ship  of  war  than  in  a  trader ;  because  the 
greater  force  of  the  crew  of  the  former  enables  them  to 
manage  both  spars  and  sails  that  are  far  heavier  than  any 
ever  used  in  the  latter. 

Then  comes  the  greater  ability  of  the  cruiser  to  make  and 
shorten  sail,  since  a  ship  manned  by  one  or  two  hundred 
men  may  safely  profit  by  the  breeze  to  the  last  moment, 
while  one  manned  by  a  dozen  often  loses  hours  of  a  favor 
able  wind,  from  the  weakness  of  her  crew.  This  explana 
tion  will  enable  the  otherwise  uninitiated  reader  to  under 
stand  why  Lucllow  had  hoped  the  coming  squall  would  aid 
his  designs  on  the  chase. 

To  express  ourselves  in  nautical  language,  "The  Co 
quette  held  on  to  the  last."  Ragged  streaks  of  vapor  were 
whirling  about  in  the  air,  within  a  fearful  proximity  to  the 
lofty  and  light  sails,  and  the  foam  on  the  water  had  got  so 
near  the  ship  as  already  to  efface  her  wake  ;  when  Lud- 
low,  who  had  watched  the  progress  of  the  cloud  with  sin 
gular  coolness,  made  a  sign  to  his  subordinate  that  the 
proper  instant  had  arrived. 

"  In,  of  all  ! "  shouted  through  the  trumpet,  was  all  that 
was  necessary  ;  for  officers  and  crew  were  well  instructed 
in  their  duty. 

The  words  had  no  sooner  quitted  the  lips  of  the  lieu 
tenant,  than  the  steady  roar  of  the  sea  was  drowned  in 
the  flapping  of  the  canvas.  Tacks,  sheets,  and  halyards 
went  together,  and  in  less  than  a  minute  the  cruiser  showed 
naked  spars  and  whistling  ropes,  where  so  lately  had  been 
seen  a  cloud  of  snow-white  cloth.  All  her  steering-sails 
came  in  together,  and  the  lofty  canvas  was  furled  to  her 
topsails.  The  latter  stood,  and  the  vessel  received  the 
weight  of  the  little  tempest  on  their  broad  surfaces.  The 
gallant  ship  stood  the  shock  nobly  ;  but,  as  the  wind  came 
over  the  taffrail,  its  force  had  far  less  influence  on  the  hull 
than  on  the  other  occasion  already  described.  The  danger, 
now,  was  for  her  spars  ;  and  these  were  saved  by  the  watch 
ful,  though  bold  vigilance  of  her  Captain. 

Ludlow  was  no  sooner  certain  that  the  cruiser  felt  the 
force  of  the  wind,  and  to  gain  this  assurance  needed  but 
a  few  moments,  than  he  turned  his  eager  look  on  the 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  219 

brigantine.  To  the  surprise  of  all  who  witnessed  her 
temerity,  the  Water-Witch  showed  all  her  light  sails. 
Swiftly  as  the  ship  was  now  driven  through  the  water,  its 
velocity  was  greatly  outstripped  by  the  wind.  The  signs 
of  the  passing  squall  were  already  visible  on  the  sea  for 
half  the  distance  between  the  two  vessels  ;  and  still  the 
chase  showed  no  consciousness  of  its  approach.  Her 
commander  had  evidently  studied  its  effects  on  the  Co 
quette,  and  he  waited  the  shock  with  the  coolness  of  one 
accustomed  to  depend  on  his  own  resources,  and  able  to 
estimate  the  force  with  which  he  had  to  contend. 

"If  he  hold  on  a  minute  longer  he  will  get  more  than 
he  can  bear,  and  away  will  go  all  his  kites  like  smoke  from 
the  muzzle  of  a  gun!"  muttered  Trysail.  "Ah!  there 
come  down  his  studding-sails — ha  !  settle  away  the  main 
sail — in  royal  and  topgallant  sail  with  topsail  on  the  cap ! 
The  rascals  are  nimble  as  pickpockets  in  a  crowd ! " 

The  honest  master  has  sufficiently  described  the  precau 
tions  taken  on  board  of  the  brigantine.  Nothing  was 
furled  ;  but  as  everything  was  hauled  up  or  lowered,  the 
squall  had  little  to  waste  its  fury  on.  The  diminished  sur 
face  of  the  sails  protected  the  spars,  while  the  canvas  was 
saved  by  the  aid  of  cordage.  After  a  few  moments  of 
pause,  half  a  dozen  men  were  seen  busied  in  more  effectu 
ally  securing  the  few  upper  and  lighter  sails. 

But  though  the  boldness  with  which  the  Skimmer  of 
the  Seas  carried  sail  to  the  last  was  justified  by  the  re 
sult,  still  the  effects  of  the  increased  wind  and  rising  waves 
on  the  progress  of  the  two  vessels  became  more  sensible. 
While  the  little  and  low  brigantine  began  to  labor  and 
roll,  the  Coquette  rode  the  element  with  buoyancy,  and 
consequently  with  less  resistance  from  the  water.  Twenty 
minutes,  during  which  the  force  of  the  wind  was  but 
little  lessened,  brought  the  cruiser  so  near  the  chase  as  to 
enable  her  crew  to  distinguish  most  of  the  smaller  objects 
that  were  visible  above  her  ridge-poles. 

"  Blow,  winds,  and  crack  your  cheeks ! "  said  Ludlow, 
in  an  undertone,  the  excitement  of  the  chase  growing 
with  the  hopes  of  success.  "  I  ask  but  one  half  hour, 
then  shift  at  your  pleasure  ! " 

"  Blow,  good  devil,  and  you  shall  have  the  cook  !  "  mut 
tered  Trysail,  quoting  a  very  different  author.  "Another 
glass  will  bring  us  within  hail." 

"The  squall   is  leaving  us!"  interrupted  the  Captain. 


220  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

"Pack  on  the  ship  again,  Mr.  Luff,  from  her  trucks  to 
her  ridge-ropes !  " 

The  whistle  of  the  boatswain  was  again  heard  at  the 
hatchways,  and  the  hoarse  summons  of  "  All  hands  make 
sail,  ahoy ! "  once  more  called  the  people  to  their  stations. 
The  sails  were  set  with  a  rapidity  which  nearly  equalled 
the  speed  with  which  they  had  been  taken  in,  and  the  vio 
lence  of  the  breeze  was  scarcely  off  the  ship  before  its 
complicated  volumes  of  canvas  were  spread  to  catch  what 
remained.  On  the  other  hand,  the  chase,  even  more  hardy 
than  the  cruiser,  did  not  wait  for  the  end  of  the  squall ; 
but,  profiting  by  the  notice  given  by  the  latter,  the  Skim 
mer  of  the  Seas  began  to  sway  his  yards  aloft  while  the 
sea  was  still  white  with  foam. 

"The  quick-sighted  rogue  knows  we  are  done  with  it," 
said  Trysail;  "and  he  is  getting  ready  for  his  own  turn. 
We  gain  but  little  of  him,  notwithstanding  our  muster  of 
hands." 

The  fact  was  too  true  to  be  denied,  for  the  brigantine 
was  again  under  all  her  canvas,  before  the  ship  had  sensi 
bly  profited  by  her  superior  physical  force.  It  was  at  this 
moment,  when,  perhaps  in  consequence  of  the  swell  on 
the  water,  the  Coquette  might  have  possessed  some  small 
advantage,  that  the  wind  suddenly  failed.  The  squall  had 
been  its  expiring  effort ;  and,  within  an  hour  after  the  two 
vessels  had  again  made  sail,  the  canvas  was  napping  against 
the  masts  in  a  manner  to  throw  back,  in  eddies,  a  force  as 
great  as  that  which  it  received.  The  sea  fell  fast,  and  near 
the  end  of  the  last,  or  forenoon  watch,  the  surface  of  the 
ocean  was  agitated  only  by  those  long,  undulating  swells, 
that  seldom  leave  it  entirely  without  motion.  For  some 
little  time  there  were  fickle  currents  of  air  playing  in  vari 
ous  directions  about  the  ship,  but  always  in  sufficient  force 
to  urge  her  slowly  through  the  water  ;  and  then,  when  the 
equilibrium  of  the  element  seemed  established,  there  was 
a  total  calm.  During  the  half-hour  of  the  baffling  winds, 
the  brigantine  had  been  a  gainer,  though  not  enough  to 
carry  her  entirely  beyond  the  reach  of  the  cruiser's 
guns. 

"Haul  up  the  courses!"  said  Ludlow,  when  the  last 
breath  of  wind  had  been  felt  on  the  ship,  and  quitting  the 
gun  where  he  had  long  stood,  watching  the  movements  of 
the  chase.  "  Get  the  boats  into  the  water,  Mr.  Luff,  and 
arm  their  crews." 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  221 

The  young  commander  issued  this  order,  which  needed 
no  interpreter  to  explain  its  object,  firmly,  but  in  sadness. 
His  face  was  thoughtful,  and  his  whole  air  was  that  of  a 
man  who  yielded  to  an  imperative  but  an  unpleasant  duty. 
When  he  had  spoken  he  signed  to  the  attentive  Alderman 
and  his  friend  to  follow,  and  entered  his  cabin. 

"There  is  no  alternative,"  continued  Ludlow,  as  he  laid 
the  glass,  which  so  often  that  morning  had  been  at  his 
eye,  on  the  table,  and  threw  himself  into  a  chair.  ''This 
rover  must  be  seized  at  every  hazard,  and  here  is  a  favora 
ble  occasion  to  carry  him  by  boarding.  Twenty  minutes 
will  bring  us  to  his  side,  and  five  more  will  put  us  in  pos 
session  ;  but " 

"You  think  the  Skimmer  is  not  a  man  to  receive  such 
visitors  with  an  old  woman's  welcome,"  pithily  observed 
Myndert. 

"  I  much  mistake  the  man  if  he  yield  so  beautiful  a 
vessel  peacefully.  Duty  is  imperative  on  a  seaman,  Alder 
man  Van  Beverout  ;  and  much  as  I  lament  the  circum 
stance,  it  must  be  obeyed." 

"  I  understand  you,  sir.  Captain  Ludlow  has  two  mis 
tresses,  Queen  Anne  and  the  daughter  of  old  Etienne  Bar- 
berie.  He  fears  both.  When  the  debts  exceed  the  means 
of  payment,  it  would  seem  wise  to  offer  to  compound  ; 
and  in  this  case  her  Majesty  and  my  niece  may  be  said  to 
stand  in  case  of  creditors." 

"You  mistake  my  meaning,  sir,"  said  Ludlow.  "There 
can  be  no  composition  between  a  faithful  officer  and  his 
duty,  nor  do  I  acknowledge  more  than  one  mistress  in  my 
ship — but  seamen  are  little  to  be  trusted  in  the  moment  of 
success,  and  with  their  passions  awakened  by  resistance. 
Alderman  Van  Beverout,  will  you  accompany  the  party, 
and  serve  as  mediator?" 

"  Pikes  and  hand-grenades,  !  Am  I  a  fit  subject  for 
mounting  the  sides  of  a  smuggler  with  a  broadsword  be 
tween  my  teeth  !  If  you  will  put  me  into  the  smallest  and 
most  peaceable  of  your  boats,  with  a  crew  of  two  boys, 
that  I  can  control  with  the  authority  of  a  magistrate,  and 
covenant  to  remain  here  with  your  three  topsails  aback, 
having  always  a  flag  of  truce  at  each  mast,  I  will  bear  the 
olive  branch  to  the  brigantine,  but  not  a  word  of  menace. 
If  report  speak  true,  your  Skimmer  of  the  Seas  is  no 
lover  of  threats,  and  Heaven  forbid  that  I  should  do  vio 
lence  to  any  man's  habits  !  I  will  go  forth  as  your  turtle- 


222  THE  WATER-WITCH. 

dove,  Captain  Ludlow ;  but  not  one  foot  will  I  proceed  as 
your  Goliath." 

"  And  you  equally  refuse  endeavoring  to  avert  hostili 
ties  ?"  continued  Ludlow,  turning  his  look  on  the  Patroon 
of  Kinderhook.  . 

"  I  am  the  Queen's  subject,  and  ready  to  aid  in  support 
ing  the  laws,"  quietly  returned  Oloff  Van  Staats. 

"  Patroon  !  "  exclaimed  his  watchful  friend,  "  you  know 
not  what  you  say  !  If  there  were  question  of  an  inroad  of 
Mohawks,  or  an  invasion  from  the  Canadas,  the  case  would 
be  altered ;  but  this  is  only  a  trifling  diiference  concern 
ing  a  small  balance  in  the  revenue  duties,  which  had  better 
be  left  to  your  tide-waiter  and  the  other  wild-cats  of  the 
law.  If  Parliament  will  put  temptation  before  our  eyes, 
let  the  sin  light  on  their  own  heads.  Human  nature  is 
weak,  and  the  vanities  of  our  system  are  so  many  induce 
ments  to  overlook  unreasonable  regulations.  I  say,  there 
fore,  that  it  is  better  to  remain  in  peace  on  board  this  ship, 
where  our  character  will  be  as  safe  as  our  bones,  and  trust 
to  Providence  for  what  will  happen." 

"  I  am  the  Queen's  subject,  ready  to  uphold  her  dignity," 
repeated  Oloff,  firmly. 

"  I  will  trust  you,  sir,"  said  Ludlow,  taking  his  rival  by 
the  arm,  and  leading  him  into  his  own  state-room. 

The  conference  was  soon  ended,  and  a  midshipman 
shortly  after  reported  that  the  boats  were  ready  for  service. 
The  master  was  next  summoned  to  the  cabin,  and  admitted 
to  the  private  apartment  of  his  commander.  Ludlow  then 
proceeded  to  the  deck,  where  he  made  the  final  dispositions 
for  the  attack.  The  ship  was  left  in  charge  of  Mr.  Luff, 
with  an  injunction  to  profit  by  any  breeze  that  might  offer, 
to  draw  as  near  as  possible  to  the  chase.  Trysail  was 
placed  in  the  launch  at  the  head  of  a  strong  party  of 
boarders.  Van  Staats  of  Kinderhook  was  provided  with 
the  yawl,  manned  only  by  its  customary  crew  ;  while  Lud 
low  entered  his  own  barge,  which  contained  its  usual  com 
plement,  though  the  arms  that  lay  in  the  stern-sheets  suf 
ficiently  showed  that  they  were  prepared  for  service. 

The  launch  being  the  soonest  ready,  and  of  much  the 
heaviest  movement,  was  the  first  to  quit  the  side  of  the  Co 
quette.  The  master  steered  directly  for  the  becalmed  and 
motionless  brigantine.  Ludlow  took  a  more  circuitous 
route,  apparently  with  an  intention  of  causing  such  a  di 
version  as  might  distract  the  attention  of  the  crew  of  the 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  223 

smuggler,  and  with  a  view  of  reaching  the  point  of  attack 
at  the  same  moment  with  the  boat  that  contained  his  prin 
cipal  force.  The  yawl  also  inclined  from  the  straight  line, 
steering  as  much  on  one  side  as  the  barge  diverged  on  the 
other.  In  this  manner  the  men  pulled  in  silence  for 
some  twenty  minutes — the  motion  of  the  larger  boat, 
which  was  heavily  charged,  being  slow  and  difficult.  At 
the  end  of  this  period,  a  signal  was  made  from  the  barge, 
when  all  the  men  ceased  rowing,  and  prepared  themselves 
for  the  struggle.  The  launch  was  within  pistol-shot  of  the 
brigantine,  and  directly  on  her  beam  ;  the  yawl  had  gained 
her  head,  where  Van  Staats  of  Kinderhook  was  studying 
the  malign  expression  of  the  image  writh  an  interest  that 
seemed  to  increase  as  his  sluggish  nature  became  ex 
cited;  and  Ludlow,  on  the  quarter  opposite  to  the  launch, 
was  examining  the  condition  of  the  chase  by  the  aid  of 
a  glass.  Trysail  profited  by  the  pause  to  address  his  fol 
lowers  : 

"This  is  an  expedition  in  boats,"  commenced  the  accu 
rate  and  circumstantial  master,  "  made  in  smooth  water, 
with  little,  or  one  may  say  no  wind,  in  the  month  of  June, 
and  on  the  Coast  of  North  America.  You  are  not  such  a 
set  of  know-nothings,  men,  as  to  suppose  the  launch  has 
been  hoisted  out,  and  two  of  the  oldest,  not  to  say  best 
seamen,  on  the  quarter-deck  of  her  Majesty's  ship,  have 
gone  in  boats,  without  the  intention  of  doing  something 
more  than  to  ask  the  name  and  character  of  the  brig  in 
sight.  The  smallest  of  the  young  gentlemen  might  have 
done  that  duty  as  well  as  the  Captain  or  myself.  It  is  the 
belief  of  those  who  are  best  informed  that  the  stranger 
who  has  the  impudence  to  lie  quietly  within  long  range  of 
a  royal  cruiser,  without  showing  his  colors,  is  neither  more 
nor  less  than  the  Skimmer  of  the  Seas,  a  man  against 
whose  seamanship  I  will  say  nothing,  but  who  has  none  of 
the  best  reputation  for  honesty,  as  respects  the  Queen's 
revenue.  No  doubt  you  have  heard  many  extraordinary 
accounts  of  the  exploits  of  this  rover,  some  of  which  seem 
to  insinuate  that  the  fellow  has  a  private  understanding 
with  those  who  manage  their  transactions  in  a  less  relig 
ious  manner  than  it  may  be  supposed  is  done  by  the  bench 
of  bishops.  But  what  of  that  ?  You  are  hearty  English 
men,  who  know  what  belongs  to  church  and  state  ;  and 

d e  you  are  not  the  boys  to  be  frightened  by  a  little 

witchcraft  (cheer).     Aye,  that  is  intelligible  and  reasona- 


224  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

ble  language,  and  such  as  satisfies  me  you  understand  the 
subject.  I  shall  say  no  more  than  just  to  add,  that  Cap 
tain  Ludlow  desires  there  may  be  no  indecent  language, 
nor  for  that  matter  any  rough  treatment  of  the  people  of 
the  brigantine,  over  and  above  the  knocking  on  the  head 
and  cutting  of  throats  that  may  be  necessary  to  take 
her.  In  this  particular  you  will  take  example  by  me,  who, 
being  older,  have  more  experience  than  most  of  you,  and 
who,  in  all  reason,  should  better  know  when  and  where 
to  show  his  manhood.  Lay  about  you  like  men  so  long 
as  the  freetraders  stand  to  their  quarters — but  remember 
mercy  in  the  hour  of  victory!  You  will  on  no  account 
enter  the  cabins  ;  on  this  head  my  orders  are  explicit,  and 
I  shall  make  no  more  of  throwing  the  man  into  the  sea 
who  dares  to  trangress  them  than  if  he  were  a  dead 
Frenchman  ;  and  as  we  now  clearly  understand  eadi 
other,  and  know  our  duty  so  well,  there  remains  no  more 
than  to  do  it.  I  have  said  nothing  of  the  prize-money  (a 
cheer),  seeing  you  are  men  that  love  the  Queen  and  her 
honor  more  than  lucre  (a  cheer)  ;  but  this  much  I  can 
safely  promise,  that  there  will  be  the  usual  division  (a 
cheer),  and  as  there  is  little  doubt  but  the  rogues  have 
driven  a  profitable  trade,  why  the  sum  total  is  likely  to  be 
no  trifle."  (Three  hearty  cheers.) 

The  report  of  a  pistol  from  the  barge,  which  was  imme 
diately  followed  by  a  gun  from  the  cruiser,  whose  shot 
came  whistling  between  the  masts  of  the  Water- Witch,  was 
the  signal  to  resort  to  the  ordinary  means  of  victory.  The 
master  cheered  in  his  turn  ;  and  in  a  full,  steady,  and  deep 
voice,  he  gave  the  order  to  "  Pull  away  !  "  At  the  same 
instant,  the  barge  and  yawl  were  seen  advancing  toward 
the  object  of  their  common  attack  with  a  velocity  that 
promised  to  bring  the  event  to  a  speedy  issue. 

Throughout  the  whole  of  the  preparations  in  and  about 
the  Coquette,  since  the  moment  when  the  breeze  failed, 
nothing  had  been  seen  of  the  crew  of  the  brigantine.  The 
beautiful  fabric  lay  rolling  on  the  heaving  and  setting 
waters ;  but  no  human  form  appeared  to  control  her 
movements,  or  to  make  the  arrangements  that  seemed  so 
necessary  for  her  defence.  The  sails  continued  hanging 
as  they  had  been  left  by  the  breeze,  and  the  hull  was  float 
ing  at  the  will  of  the  waves.  This  deep  quiet  was  undis 
turbed  by  the  approach  of  the  boats  ;  and  if  the  desperate 
individual  who  was  known  to  command  the  freetrader  had 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  225 

any  intentions  of  resistance,  they  had  been  entirely  hid 
from  the  long  and  anxious  gaze  of  Ludlovv.  Even  the 
shouts,*  and  the  dashing  of  the  oars  on  the  water,  when 
the  boats  commenced  their  final  advance,  produced  no 
change  on  the  deck  of  the  chase  ;  though  the  commander 
of  the  Coquette  saw  her  head-yards  slowly  and  steadily 
changing  their  direction.  Uncertain  of  the  object  of  this 
movement,  he  rose  on  the  seat  of  his  boat,  and,  waving 
his  hat,  cheered  the  men  to  greater  exertion.  The  barge 
had  got  within  a  hundred  feet  of  the  broadside  of  the 
brigantine,  when  the  whole  of  her  wide  folds  of  canvas 
were  seen  swelling  outward.  The  exquisitely-ordered  ma 
chinery  of  spars,  sails,  and  rigging,  bowed  toward  the 
barge,  as  in  the  act  of  a  graceful  leave-taking,  and  the 
light  hull  glided  ahead,  leaving  the  boat  to  plow  through 
the  empty  space  which  it  had  just  occupied. 

There  needed  no  second  look  to  assure  Ludlow  of  the 
inefficacy  of  farther  pursuit,  since  the  sea  was  already 
ruffled  by  the  breeze  which  had  so  opportunely  come  to 
aid  the  smuggler.  He  signed  to  Trysail  to  desist  ;  and 
both  stood  looking,  with  disappointed  eyes,  at  the  white 
and  bubbling  streak  which  was  left  by  the  wake  of  the 
fugitive. 

But  while  the  Water- Witch  left  the  boats,  commanded 
by  the  Captain  and  Master  of  the  Queen's  cruiser,  behind 
her,  she  steered  directly  on  the  .course  that  was  necessary 
to  bring  her  soonest  in  contact  with  the  yawl.  For  a  few 
moments,  the  crew  of  the  latter  believed  it  was  their  own 
advance  that  brought  them  so  rapidly  near  their  object  ; 
and  when  the  midshipman  who  steered  the  boat  discovered 
his  error,  it  was  only  in  season  to  prevent  the  swift  brigan 
tine  from  passing  over  his  little  bark.  He  gave  the  yawl 
a  wide  sheer,  and  called  to  his  men  to  pull  for  their  lives. 
Oloff  Van  Staats  had  placed  himself  at  the  head  of  the 
boat,  armed  with  a  hanger,  and  with  every  faculty  too  in 
tent  on  the  expected  attack  to  heed  a  danger  that  was 
scarcely  intelligible  to  one  of  his  habits.  As  the  brigan 
tine  glided  past,  he  saw  her  low  channels  bending  toward 
the  water,  and,  with  a  powerful  effort,  he  leaped  into  them, 
shouting  a  sort  of  war-cry  in  Dutch.  At  the  next  instant 
he  threw  his  large  frame  over  the  bulwark,  and  disappeared 
on  the  deck  of  the  smuggler. 

When  Ludlow  caused  his  boats  to  assemble  on  the  spot 
which  the  chase  had  so  lately  occupied,  he  saw  that  the 

15 


226  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

fruitless  expedition  had  been  attended  by  no  other  casu 
alty  than  the  involuntary  abduction  of  the  Patroon  of 
Kinderhook. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

"What  country,  friends,  is  this?" 
"  Illyria,  ]ady."—Tw£tftA  Night. 

MEN  are  as  much  indebted  to  a  fortuitous  concurrence 
of  circumstances,  for  the  characters  they  sustain  in  this 
world,  as  to  their  personal  qualities.  The  same  truth  is 
applicable  to  the  reputations  of  ships.  The  properties  of 
a  vessel,  like  those  of  an  individual,  may  have  their  influ 
ence  on  her  good  or  evil  fortune  ;  still,  something  is  due 
to  the  accidents  of  life  in  both.  Although  the  breeze 
which  came  so  opportunely  to  the  aid  of  the  Water-Witch 
soon  filled  the  sails  of  the  Coquette,  it  caused  no  change  in 
the  opinions  of  her  crew  concerning  that  ship  ;  while  it 
served  to  heighten  the  reputation  which  the  Skimmer  of 
the  Seas  had  already  obtained  as  a  mariner  wrho  was  more 
than  favored  by  happy  chances  in  the  thousand  emergen 
cies  of  his  hazardous  profession.  Trysail  himself  shook 
his  head,  in  a  manner  that  expressed  volumes,  when  Lud- 
low  vented  his  humor  on  what  the  young  man  termed  the 
luck  of  the  smuggler  ;  and  the  crews  of  the  boats  gazed 
after  the  retiring  brigantine  as  the  inhabitants  of  Japan 
would  now  most  probably  regard  the  passage  of  some  ves 
sel  propelled  by  steam.  As  Mr.  Luff  was  not  neglectful 
of  his  duty,  it  was  not  long  before  the  Coquette  approached 
her  boats.  The  delay  occasioned  by  hoisting  in  the  latter 
enabled  the  chase  to  increase  the  space  between  the  two 
vessels  to  such  a  distance  as  to  place  her  altogether  beyond 
the  reach  of  shot.  Ludlow,  however,  gave  his  orders  to 
pursue,  the  moment  the  ship  was  ready  ;  and  he  hastened 
to  conceal  his  disappointment  in  his  own  cabin. 

"Luck  is  a  merchant's  surplus,  while  a  living  profit  is 
the  reward  of  his  wits  ! "  observed  Alderman  Van  Bever- 
out,  who  could  scarce  conceal  the  satisfaction  he  felt  at  the 
unexpected  and  repeated  escapes  of  the  brigantine.  "  Many 
a  man  gains  doubloons,  when  he  only  looked  for  dollars  ; 
and  many  a  market  falls  while  the  goods  are  in  the  course 
of  clearance.  There  are  Frenchmen  enough,  Captain 
Ludlow,  to  keep  a  brave  officer  in  good-humor  ;  and  the 


THE   WATER- WITCH.  227 

less  reason  to  fret  about  a  trifling  mischance  in  overhaul 
ing  a  smuggler." 

"  I  know  not  how  highly  you  may  prize  your  niece,  Mr. 
Van  Beverout  ;  but  were  I  the  uncle  of  such  a  woman,  the 
idea  that  she  had  become  the  infatuated  victim  of  the  arts 
of  yon  reckless  villain  would  madden  me." 

"  Paroxysms  and  strait-jackets  !  Happily  you  are  not 
her  uncle,  Captain  Ltidlow,  and  therefore  the  less  reason 
to  be  uneasy.  The  girl  has  a  French  fancy,  and  she  is  rum 
maging  the  smuggler's  silks  and  laces  ;  when  her  choice  is 
made  we  shall  have  her  back  again,  more  beautiful  than 
ever  for  a  little  finery." 

"  Choice  !  Oh,  Alida,  Alida  !  this  is  not  the  election 
that  we  had  reason  to  expect  from  thy  cultivated  mind  and 
proud  sentiments  !  " 

"  The  cultivation  is  my  work,  and  the  pride  is  an  inheri 
tance  from  old  Etienne  de  Barberie,"  dryly  rejoined  Myn- 
dert.  "  But  complaints  never  lowered  a  market  nor  raised 
the  funds.  Let  us  send  for  the  Patroon,  and  take  counsel 
coolly  as  to  the  easiest  manner  of  finding  our  way  back  to 
the  Lust  in  Rust,  before  her  Majesty's  ship  gets  too  far 
from  the  coast  of  America." 

"  Thy  pleasantry  is  unseasonable,  sir.  Your  Patroon  is 
gone  with  your  niece,  and  a  pleasant  passage  they  are 
likely  to  enjoy  in  such  company  !  We  lost  him  in  the  ex 
pedition  with  our  boats." 

The  Alderman  stood  aghast. 

"  Lost  !  Oloff  Van  Staats  lost  in  the  expedition  of  the 
boats  !  Evil  betide  the  day  when  that  discreet  and  affluent 
youth  should  be  lost  to  the  colony !  Sir,  you  know  not 
what  you  utter  when  you  hazard  so  rash  an  opinion.  The 
death  of  the  young  Patroon  of  Kinderhook  would  render 
one  of  the  best  and  most  substantial  of  our  families  ex 
tinct,  and  leave  the  third  best  estate  in  the  Province  with 
out  a  direct  heir  !  " 

"  The  calamity  is  not  so  overwhelming,"  returned  the 
Captain,  with  bitterness.  "  The  gentleman  has  boarded 
the  smuggler,  and  gone  \vith  la  belle  Barberie  to  examine 
his  silks  and  laces  ! " 

Ludlowthen  explained  the  manner  in  which  the  Patroon 
had  disappeared.  When  perfectly  assured  that  no  bodily 
harm  had  befallen  his  friend,  the  satisfaction  of  the  Alder 
man  was  quite  as  vivid  as  his  consternation  had  been 
apparent  but  the  moment  before. 


228  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

11  Gone  with  la  belle  Barberie  to  examine  silks  and 
laces  !  "  he  repeated,  rubbing  his  hands  together  in  delight. 
"  Aye,  there  the  blood  of  my  old  friend  Stephanus  begins 
to  show  itself  !  Your  true  Hollander  is  no  mercurial 
Frenchman  to  beat  his  head  and  make  grimaces  at  a  shift 
in  the  wind,  or  a  woman's  frown  ;  nor  a  blustering  Eng 
lishman  (you  are  of  the  colony  yourself,  young  gentleman), 
to  swear  a  big  oath  and  swagger  ;  but,  as  you  see,  a  quiet, 
persevering,  and  in  the  main,  an  active  son  of  old  Batavia, 
who  watches  his  opportunity,  and  goes  into  the  very  pres 
ence  of " 

"  Whom  ? "  demanded  Ludlow,  perceiving  that  the  Al 
derman  had  paused. 

"  Of  his  enemy  ;  seeing  that  all  the  enemies  of  the  Queen 
are  necessarily  the  enemies  of  every  loyal  subject.  Bravo, 
young  Oloff  !  thou  art  a  lad  after  my  own  heart,  and  no 
doubt — no  doubt — fortune  will  favor  the  brave  !  Had  a 
Hollander  a  proper  footing  on  this  earth,  Captain  Cor 
nelius  Ludlow,  we  should  hear  a  different  tale  concerning 
the  right  to  the  narrow  seas,  and  indeed  to  most  other 
questions  of  commerce." 

Ludlow  rose  with  a  bitter  smile  on  his  face,  though  with 
no  ill  feeling  toward  the  man  whose  exultation  was  so 
natural. 

"  Mr.  Van  Staats  may  have  reason  to  congratulate  him 
self  on  his  good  fortune,"  he  said,  "though  I  much  mis 
take  if  even  his  enterprise  will  succeed  against  the  wiles  of 
one  so  artful,  and  of  an  appearance  so  gay,  as  the  man 
whose  guest  he  has  now  become.  Let  the  caprice  of 
others  be  wrhat  it  may,  Alderman  Van  Beverout,  my  duty 
must  be  done.  The  smuggler,  aided  by  chance  and  artifice, 
has  thrice  escaped  me  ;  the  fourth  time  it  may  be  our 
fortune.  If  this  ship  possesses  the  power  to  destroy  the 
lawless  rover,  let  him  look  to  his  fate." 

With  this  menace  on  his  lips,  Ludlow  quitted  the  cabin 
to  resume  his  station  on  the  deck,  and  to  renew  his  un 
wearied  watching  of  the  movements  of  the  chase. 

The  change  of  the  wind  was  altogether  in  favor  of  the 
brigantine.  It  brought  her  to  windward,  and  was  the 
means  of  placing  the  two  vessels  in  positions  that  enabled 
the  Water-Witch  to  profit  most  by  her  peculiar  con 
struction.  Consequently,  when  Ludlow  resigned  his  post, 
he  saw  that  the  swift  and  light  craft  had  trimmed  every 
thing  close  upon  the  wind,  and  that  she  was  already  so  far 


THE   WATER- WITCH.  229 

ahead  as  to  render  the  chances  of  bringing  her  again 
within  range  of  his  guns  almost  desperate  ;  unless,  indeed, 
some  of  the  many  vicissitudes,  so  common  on  the  ocean, 
should  interfere  in  his  behalf.  There  remained  little  else 
to  be  done,  therefore,  but  to  crowd  every  sail  on  the 
Coquette  that  the  ship  could  bear,  and  to  endeavor  to 
keep  within  sight  of  the  chase  during  the  hours  of  dark 
ness  which  must  so  shortly  succeed.  But  before  the  sun 
had  fallen  to  the  level  of  the  water,  the  hull  of  the  Water- 
Witch  had  disappeared;  and  when  the  day  closed,  no  part 
of  her  airy  outline  was  visible  but  that  which  was  known 
to  belong  to  her  upper  and  lighter  spars.  In  a  few  minutes 
afterward  darkness  covered  the  ocean,  and  the  seamen  of 
the  royal  cruiser  were  left  to  pursue  their  object  at  random. 

How  far  the  Coquette  had  run  during  the  night  does  not 
appear,  but  when  her  commander  made  his  appearance 
on  the  following  morning,  his  long  and  anxious  gaze  met 
no  other  reward  than  a  naked  horizon.  On  every  side  the 
sea  presented  the  same  wraste  of  water.  No  object  was 
visible  but  the  sea  fowl  wheeling  on  his  wide  wing,  and 
the  summit  of  the  irregular  and  green  billows.  Through 
out  that  and  many  succeeding  days  the  cruiser  continued 
to  plow  the  ocean,  sometimes  running  "large,  with  every 
thing  opened  to  the  breeze  that  the  wide  booms  would 
spread,  and,  at  others,  pitching  and  laboring  with  adverse 
winds,  as  if  bent  on  prevailing  over  the  obstacles  which 
even  nature  presented  to  her  progress.  The  head  of  the 
worthy  Alderman  had  got  completely  turned,  and  though 
he  patiently  awaited  the  result,  before  the  week  was 
ended,  he  knew  not  even  the  direction  in  which  the  ship 
was  steering.  At  length  he  had  reason  to  believe  that  the 
end  of  their  cruise  approached.  The  efforts  of  the  sea 
men  were  observed  to  relax,  and  the  ship  wras  permitted 
to  pursue  her  course  under  easier  sail. 

It  was  past  meridian,  on  one  of  those  days  of  moderate 
exertion,  that  Francois  was  seen  stealing  from  below,  and 
staggering  from  gun  to  gun,  to  a  place  in  the  centre  of 
the  ship,  where  he  habitually  took  the  air  in  good  weather, 
and  where  he  might  dispose  of  his  person,  equally  with 
out  presuming  too  far  on  the  good  nature  of  his  superiors, 
and  without  courting  too  much  intimacy  with  the  coarser 
herd,  who  composed  the  common  crew. 

"Ah!"  exclaimed  the  valet,  addressing  his  remark  to 
the  midshipman  \vho  has  already  been  mentioned  by  the 


230  THE  WATER- WITCH. 

name  of  Hopper,  *'  vbi-la  la  terre  !  Quel  bonheur  !  I  shall 
be  so  happy — le  batiment  be  trop  agreable,  mais  vous 
savez,  Monsieur  Aspirant,  que  je  ne  suis  point  marin  ; 
what  be  le  nom  du  pays  ? " 

"  They  call  it  France,"  returned  the  boy,  who  under 
stood  enough  of  the  other's  language  to  comprehend  his 
meaning  ;  *'  and  a  very  good  country  it  is — for  those  that 
like  it." 

"  Ma  foi,  non  ! "  exclaimed  Francois,  recoiling  a  pace 
between  amazement  and  delight. 

"  Call  it  Holland,  then,  if  you  prefer  that  country  most." 

"  Dites-moi,  Monsieur  Hoppair,"  continued  the  valet, 
laying  a  trembling  finger  on  the  arm  of  the  remorseless 
young  rogue  ;  "  est-ce  la  France  ? " 

"  One  would  think  a  man  of  your  observation  could  tell 
that  for  himself.  Do  you  see  the  church-tower,  with  a 
chateau  in  the  background,  and  a  village  built  in  a  heap 
by  its  side?  Now  look  into  yon  wood  !  There  is  a  walk, 
straight  as  a  ship's  wake  in  smooth  water,  and  one — two — 
three — aye,  eleven  statues,  with  just  one  nose  among  them 
all ! " 

"  Ma  foi — dere  is  not  no  wood,  and  no  chateau,  and  no 
village,  and  no  statue,  and  no  nose — mais,  Monsieur,  je 
suis  age— est-ce  la  France  ? " 

"  Oh,  you  miss  nothing  by  having  an  indifferent  sight, 
for  I  shall  explain  it  all  as  we  go  along.  You  see  yonder  hill 
side,  looking  like  a  pattern-card,  of  green  and  yellow 
stripes,  or  a  signal-book,  with  the  flags  of  all  nations, 
placed  side  by  side — well,  that  is — les  champs  ;  and  this 
beautiful  wood,  with  all  the  branches  trimmed  till  it  looks 
like  so  many  raw  marines  at  drill,  is — la  foret — 

The  credulity  of  the  warm-hearted  valet  could  swallow 
no  more  ;  but,  assuming  a  look  of  commiseration  and  dig 
nity,  he  drew  back,  and  left  the  young  tyro  of  the  sea  to 
enjoy  his  joke  with  a  companion  who  just  then  joined 
him. 

In  the  meantime,  the  Coquette  continued  to  advance. 
The  chateau,  and  churches,  and  villages  of  the  midshipman 
soon  changed  into  a  low,  sandy  beach,  with  a  background 
of  stunted  pines,  relieved  here  and  there  by  an  opening, 
in  which  appeared  the  comfortable  habitation  and  numer 
ous  out-buildings  of  some  substantial  yeoman  or  occasion 
ally  embellished  by  the  residence  of  a  country  proprietor. 
Toward  noon,  the  crest  of  a  hill  rose  from  the  sea  ;  and, 


THE   WATRR-lW^Cff.  231 


just  as  the  sun  set  behind  a  barrieiM£Ajpu.ntain,  the  ship 
passed  the  sandy  cape,  and  anchorea^gJjWtotf  spot,  that  she 
had  quitted  when  first  joined  by  her  comJTftTtidcfyafter  his 
visit  to  the  brigantine.  The  vessel  was  soon  moored,  the 
light  yards  were  struck,  and  a  boat  was  lowered  into  the 
water.  Ludlow  and  the  Alderman  then  descended  the  side, 
and  proceeded  toward  the  mouth  of  the  Shrewsbury.  Al 
though  it  was  nearly  dark  before  they  had  reached  the 
shore,  there  remained  light  enough  to  enable  the  former 
to  discover  an  object  of  unusual  appearance  floating  in 
the  bay,  and  at  no  great  distance  from  the  direction  of  his 
barge.  He  was  led  by  curiosity  to  steer  for  it. 

"  Cruisers  and  Water-Witches  !  "  muttered  Myndert, 
when  they  were  near  enough  to  perceive  the  nature  of  the 
floating  object.  "  That  brazen  hussy  haunts  us,  as  if  we 
had  robbed  her  of  gold  !  Let  us  set  foot  on  land,  and 
nothing  short  of  a  deputation  from  the  city  council  shall 
ever  tempt  me  to  wander  from  my  own  abode  again  !  " 

Ludlow  shifted  the  helm  of  the  boat,  and  resumed  his 
course  toward  the  river.  He  required  no  explanation  to 
tell  him  of  the  nature  of  the  artifice  by  which  he  had  been 
duped.  The  nicely-balanced  tub,  the  upright  spar,  and 
the  extinguished  lantern,  with  the  features  of  the  female 
of  the  malign  smile  traced  on  its  horn  faces,  reminded  him, 
at  once,  of  the  false  light  by  which  the  Coquette  had  been 
lured  from  her  course  on  the  night  she  sailed  in  pursuit 
of  the  brigantine. 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

His  daughter,  and  the  heir  of  his  kingdom, 

....     hath  referred  herself 

Unto  a  poor  but  worthy  gentleman. — Cymbeline. 

WHEN  Alderman  Van  Beverout  and  Ludlow  drew  near 
to  the  Lust  and  Rust,  it  was  already  dark.  Night  had  over 
taken  them  at  some  distance  from  the  place  of  landing ; 
and  the  mountain  already  threw  its  shadow"  across  the  river, 
the  narrow  strip  of  land  that  separated  it  from  the  sea,  and 
far  upon  the  ocean  itself.  Neither  had  an  opportunity  of 
making  his  observations  on  the  condition  of  things  in  and 
about  the  villa  until  they  ascended  nearly  to  its  level,  and 
had  even  entered  the  narrow  but  fragrant  lawn  in  front. 
Just  before  they  arrived  at  the  gate  which  opened  on  the 


232  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

latter,  the  Alderman  paused,  and  addressed  his  companion, 
with  more  of  the  manner  of  their  ancient  confidence  than 
he  had  manifested  during  the  few  preceding  days  of  their 
intercourse. 

u  You  must  have  observed,  that  the  events  of  this  little 
excursion  on  the  water  have  been  rather  of  a  domestic  than 
of  a  public  character,"  he  said.  "  Thy  father  was  a  very 
ancient  and  much  esteemed  friend  of  mine,  and  I  am  far 
from  certain  that  there  is  not  some  affinity  between  us,  in 
the  way  of  intermarriages.  Thy  worthy  mother,  who  is  a 
thrifty  woman  and  a  small  talker,  had  some  of  the  blood 
of  my  own  stock.  It  would  grieve  me  to  see  the  good  un 
derstanding,  which  these  recollections  have  created,  in  any 
manner  interrupted.  I  admit,  sir,  that  revenue  is  to  the 
state  what  the  soul  is  to  the  body — the  moving  and  govern 
ing  principle  ;  and  that,  as  the  last  would  be  a  tenantless 
house  without  its  inhabitants,  so  the  first  would  be  an  ex 
acting  and  troublesome  master  without  its  proper  products. 
But  there  is  no  need  of  pushing  a  principle  to  extremities  ! 
If  this  brigantine  be,  as  you  appear  to  suspect,  and  indeed 
as  we  have  some  reason  from  various  causes  to  infer,  the 
vessel  called  the  Water-Witch,  she  might  have  been  a  legal 
prize  had  she  fallen  into  your  power  ;  but  now  that  she 
has  escaped,  I  cannot  say  what  may  be  your  intentions; 
but  were  thy  excellent  father,  the  worthy  member  of  the 
king's  council,  living,  so  discreet  a  man  would  think 
much  before  he  opened  his  lips,  to  say  more  than  is  dis 
creet,  on  this  or  any  other  subject." 

"Whatever  course  I  may  believe  my  duty  dictates,  you 
may  safely  rely  on  my  discretion  concerning  the — the  re 
markable — the  very  decided  step  which  your  niece  has  seen 
proper  to  take,"  returned  the  young  man,  who  did  not 
make  this  allusion  to  Alida  without  betraying,  by  the 
tremor  of  his  voice,  how  great  was  her  influence  still  over 
him.  "  I  see  no  necessity  of  violating  the  domestic  feel 
ings  to  which  you  allude,  by  aiding  to  feed  the  ears  of  the 
idly  curious  with  the  narrative  of  her  errors." 

Ludlow  stopped  suddenly,  leaving  the  uncle  to  infer 
what  he  would  wish  to  add. 

"This  is  generous,  and  manly,  and  like  a  loyal — lover, 
Captain  Ludlow,"  returned  the  Alderman  ;  "though  it  is 
not  exactly  what  I  intended  to  suggest.  We  will  not, 
however,  multiply  words  in  the  night  air — ha  !  when  the 
cat  is  asleep,  the  mice  are  seen  to  play  !  Those  night- 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  233 

riding,  horse-racing  blacks  have  taken  possession  of  Alida's 
pavilion  ;  and  we  may  be  thankful  the  poor  girl's  rooms 
are  not  as  large  as  Harlem  Common,  or  we  should  hear 
the  feet  of  some  hard-driven  beast  galloping  about  in 
them." 

The  Alderman,  in  his  turn,  cut  short  his  speech,  and 
started  as  if  one  of  the  spooks  of  the  colony  had  suddenly 
presented  itself  to  his  eyes.  His  language  drew  the  look 
of  his  companion  toward  la  Cour  des  Fees  ;  and  Ludlow, 
at  the  same  moment  as  the  uncle,  caught  an  unequivocal 
view  of  la  belle  Barberie,  as  she  moved  before  the  open 
window  of  her  apartment.  The  latter  was  about  to  rush 
forward,  but  the  hand  of  Myndert  arrested  the  impetuous 
movement. 

"Here  is  more  matter  for  our  wits  than  our  legs,"  ob 
served  the  cool  and  prudent  burgher.  "  That  was  the  form 
of  my  ward  and  niece,  or  the  daughter  of  old  Etienne  Bar 
berie  has  a  double.  Francis  !  didst  thou  not  see  the  image 
of  a  woman  at  the  window  of  the  pavilion,  or  are  we  de 
ceived  by  our  wishes  ?  I  have  sometimes  been  deluded 
in  an  unaccountable  manner,  Captain  Ludlow,  when  my 
mind  has  been  thoroughly  set  on  the  bargain,  in  the  qual 
ity  of  the  goods  ;  for  the  most  liberal  of  us  all  are  subject 
to  mental  weakness  of  this  nature,  when  hope  is  alive  !  " 

"  Certainement — oui  !  "  exclaimed  the  eager  valet.  "  Quel 
malheur  to  be  oblige  to  go  on  la  mer  when  Mam'selle 
Alide  nevair  quit  la  maison  !  J'etais  sur,  que  nous  nous 
trompions,  car  jamais  la  famille  de  Barberie  love  to  be 
marins  !  " 

"  Enough,  good  Francis  ;  the  family  of  Barberie  is  as 
earthly  as  a  fox.  Go  and  notify  the  idle  rogues  in  my 
kitchen  that  their  master  is  at  hand  ;  and  remember,  that 
there  is  no  necessity  for  speaking  of  all  the  wonders  we 
have  seen  on  the  great  deep.  Captain  Ludlow,  we  will 
now  join  my  dutiful  niece  with  as  little  fracas  as  possible." 

Ludlow  eagerly  accepted  the  invitation,  and  instantly 
followed  the  dogmatical  and  seemingly  unmoved  Alder 
man  toward  the  dwelling.  As  the  lawn  was  crossed,  they 
involuntarily  paused  a  moment  to  look  in  at  the  open 
windows  of  the  pavilion. 

La  belle  Barberie  had  ornamented  la  Cour  des  Fees 
with  a  portion  of  that  national  taste  which  she  inherited 
from  her  father.  The  heavy  magnificence  that  distin 
guished  the  reign  of  Louis  XIV.  had  scarcely  descended 


234  THE  WATER-WITCH. 

to  one  of  the  middling  rank  of  Monsieur  de  Barberie,  who 
had  consequently  brought  with  him  to  the  place  of  his 
exile  merely  those  tasteful  usages  which  appear  almost 
exclusively  the  property  of  the  people  from  whom  he  had 
sprung,  without  the  incumbrance  and  cost  of  the  more 
pretending  fashions  of  the  period.  These  usages  had  be 
come  blended  with  the  more  domestic  and  comfortable 
habits  of  English,  or  what  is  nearly  the  same  thing,  of 
American  life — an  union  which,  when  it  is  found,  perhaps 
produces  the  most  just  and  happy  medium  of  the  useful 
and  agreeable.  Alida  was  seated  by  a  small  table  of  ma 
hogany,  deeply  absorbed  in  the  contents  of  a  little  volume 
that  lay  before  her.  By  her  side  stood  a  tea-service,  the 
cups  and  the  vessels  of  which  were  of  the  diminutive  size 
then  used,  though  exquisitely  wrought,  and  of  the  most 
beautiful  material.  Her  dress  was  a  negligee  suited  to  her 
years  ;  and  her  whole  figure  breathed  that  air  of  comfort, 
mingled  with  grace,  which  seems  the  proper  quality  of  the 
sex,  and  which  renders  the  privacy  of  an  elegant  woman 
so  attractive  and  peculiar.  Her  mind  was  intent  on  the 
book,  and  the  little  silver  urn  hissed  at  her  elbow  ap 
parently  unheeded. 

"  This  is  the  picture  I  have  loved  to  draw,"  half- whispered 
Ludlow,  "when  gales  and  storms  have  kept  me  on  the 
deck,  throughout  many  a  dreary  and  tempestuous  night ! 
When  body  and  mind  have  been  impatient  of  fatigue,  this 
is  the  repose  I  have  most  coveted,  and  for  which  I  have 
even  dared  to  hope." 

"The  China  trade  will  come  to  something  in  time,  and 
you  are  an  excellent  judge  of  comfort,  Master  Ludlow," 
returned  the  Alderman.  "  That  girl  now  has  a  warm  glow 
on  her  cheek,  which  would  seem  to  swear  she  never  faced 
a  breeze  in  her  life  ;  and  it  is  not  easy  to  fancy  that  one 
who  looks  so  comfortable  has  lately  been  frolicking  among 
the  dolphins.  Let  us  enter." 

Alderman  Van  Beverout  was  not  accustomed  to  use  much 
ceremony  in  his  visits  to  his  niece.  Without  appearing  to 
think  any  announcement  necessary,  therefore,  the  dog 
matical  burgher  coolly  opened  a  door,  and  ushered  his 
companion  into  the  pavilion. 

If  the  meeting  between  la  belle  Alida  and  her  guests 
was  distinguished  by  the  affected  indifference  of  the  lat 
ter,  their  seeming  ease  was  quite  equalled  by  that  of  the 
lady.  She  laid  aside  her  book  with  a  calmness  that  might 


THE   WATER- WITCH.  235 

have  been  expected  had  they  parted  but  an  hour  before, 
and  which  sufficiently  assured  both  Ludlow  and  her  uncle 
that  their  return  was  known  and  their  presence  expected. 

She  simply  arose  at  their  entrance,  and  with  a  smile  that 
betokened  breeding  rather  than  feeling,  she  requested 
them  to  be  seated.  The  composure  of  his  niece  had  the 
effect  to  throw  the  Alderman  into  a  brown  study,  while 
the  young  sailor  scarcely  knew  which  to  admire  the  most, 
the  exceeding  loveliness  of  a  woman  who  was  always  so 
beautiful,  or  her  admirable  self-possession  in  a  scene  that 
most  others  would  have  found  sufficiently  embarrassing. 
Alida,  herself,  appeared  to  feel  no  necessity  for  an  ex 
planation  ;  for,  when  her  guests  were  seated,  she  took  oc 
casion  to  say,  while  busied  in  pouring  out  the  tea — 

"  You  find  me  prepared  to  offer  the  refreshment  of  a 
cup  of  delicious  bohea.  I  think  my  uncle  calls  it  the  tea 
of  the  Caernarvon  Castle." 

''A  lucky  ship,  both  in  her  passages  and  her  wares! 
Yes,  it  is  the  article  you  name  ;  and  I  can  recommend  it 
to  all  who  wish  to  purchase.  But,  niece  of  mine,  will  you 
condescend  to  acquaint  this  commander  in  her  Majesty's 
service,  and  a  poor  Alderman  of  her  good  city  of  New 
York,  how  long  you  may  have  been  expecting  our  com 
pany  ?" 

Alida  felt  at  her  girdle,  and  drawing  out  a  small  and 
richly  ornamented  watch,  she  coolly  examined  its  hands, 
as  if  to  learn  the  hour. 

"We  are  nine.  I  think  it  was  past  the  turn  of  the  day, 
when  Dinah  first  mentioned  that  this  pleasure  might  be 
expected.  But  I  should  also  tell  you  that  packages  which 
seem  to  contain  letters  have  arrived  from  town." 

This  was  giving  a  new  and  sudden  direction  to  the 
thoughts  of  the  Alderman.  He  had  refrained  from  enter 
ing  on  those  explanations  which  the  circumstances  seemed 
to  require,  because  he  well  knew  that  he  stood  on  dangerous 
ground,  and  that  more  might  be  said  than  he  wished  his 
companion  to  hear,  no  less  than  from  amazement  at  the 
composure  of  his  ward.  He  was  not  sorry,  therefore,  to 
have  an  excuse  to  delay  his  inquiries,  that  appeared  so 
much  in  character  as  that  of  reading  the  communications 
of  his  business  correspondents.  Swallowing  the  contents  of 
the  tiny  cup  he  held,  at  a  gulp,  the  eager  merchant  seized 
the  packet  that  Alida  now  offered  ;  and  muttering  a  few 
words  of  apology  to  Ludlow,  he  left  the  pavilion. 


236  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

Until  now  the  commander  of  the  Coquette  had  not 
spoken.  Wonder,  mingled  with  indignation,  sealed  his 
mouth,  though  he  had  endeavored  to  penetrate  the  veil 
which  Alida  had  drawn  around  her  conduct  and  motives, 
by  a  diligent  use  of  his  eyes.  During  the  first  few  mo 
ments  of  the  interview,  he  thought  that  he  could  detect,  in 
the  midst  of  her  studied  calmness,  a  melancholy  smile 
struggling  around  her  beautiful  mouth  ;  but  only  once  had 
their  looks  met,  as  she  turned  her  full,  rich,  and  dark  eyes 
furtively  on  his  face,  as  if  curious  to  know  the  effect 
produced  by  her  manner  on  the  mind  of  the  young  sailor. 

"  Have  the  enemies  of  the  Queen  reason  to  regret  the 
cruise  of  the  Coquette  ? "  said  la  Belle,  hurriedly,  when 
she  found  her  glance  detected  ;  "  or  have  they  dreaded  to 
encounter  a  prowess  that  has  already  proved  their  inferi 
ority  ? " 

"Fear,  or  prudence,  or  perhaps  I  might  say  conscience, 
has  made  them  wary,"  returned  Ludlow,  pointedly  empha 
sizing  the  latter  words.  "  We  have  run  from  the  Hook  to 
the  edge  of  the  Grand  Bank,  and  returned  without  suc 
cess." 

"Tis  unlucky.  But.  though  the  French  escaped,  have 
none  of  the  lawless  met  with  punishment?  There  is  a 
rumor  among  the  slaves,  that  the  brigantine  which  visited 
us  is  an  object  of  suspicion  to  the  government  ?" 

"  Suspicion !  But  I  may  apply  to  la  belle  Barberie,  to 
know  whether  the  character  her  commander  has  obtained 
be  merited  ?" 

Alida  smiled,  and,  her  admirer  thought,  as  sweetly  as  ever. 

"  It  would  be  a  sign  of  extraordinary  complaisance,  were 
Captain  Ludlow  to  apply  to  the  girls  of  the  colony  for  in 
struction  in  his  duty !  We  may  be  secret  encouragers  of 
the  contraband,  but  surely  we  are  not  to  be  suspected  of 
any  greater  familiarity  with  their  movements.  These  hints 
may  compel  me  to  abandon  the  pleasures  of  the  Lust  in 
Rust,  and  to  seek  air  and  health  in  some  less  exposed  sit 
uation.  Happily  the  banks  of  the  Hudson  offer  many 
that  one  need  be  fastidious  indeed  to  reject." 

"Among  which  you  count  the  Manor  House  of 'Kinder- 
hook  ?" 

Again  Alida  smiled,  and  Ludlow  thought  it  was  tri 
umphantly. 

"  The  dwelling  of  Oloff  Van  Staats  is  said  to  be  commo 
dious,  and  not  badly  placed.  I  have  seen  it " 


THE   WATER- IV ITCH.  237 

"  In  your  image  of  the  future  ?  "  said  the  young  man, 
observing  she  hesitated. 

Alida  laughed  downright.  But,  immediately  recovering 
her  self-command,  she  replied  : 

"  Not  so  fancifully.  My  knowledge  of  the  beauties 
of  the  house  of  Mr.  Van  Staats  is  confined  to  very  unpoet- 
ical  glimpses  from  the  river,  in  passing  and  repassing.  The 
chimneys  are  twisted  in  the  most  approved  style  of  the 
Dutch  Brabant,  and,  although  wanting  the  stork's  nest  on 
their  summits,  it  seems  as  if  there  might  be  that  woman's 
tempter,  comfort,  around  the  hearths  beneath.  The  offi 
ces,  too,  have  an  enticing  air  for  a  thrifty  housewife  !  " 

"  Which  office,  in  compliment  to  the  worthy  patroon, 
you  intend  shall  not  long  be  vacant  ? " 

Alida  was  playing  with  a  spoon,  curiously  wrought  to 
represent  the  stem  and  leaves  of  a  tea-plant.  She  started, 
dropped  the  implement,  and  raised  her  eyes  to  the  face  of 
her  companion.  The  look  was  steady,  and  not  without  an 
interest  in  the  evident  concern  betrayed  by  the  young 
man. 

"  It  will  never  be  filled  by  me,  Ludlow,"  was  the  answer, 
uttered  solemnly,  and  with  a  decision  that  denoted  a  reso 
lution  fixed. 

"  That  declaration  removes  a  mountain  !  Oh  !  Alida,  if 
you  could  as  easily " 

"  Hush  !"  whispered  the  other,  rising  and  standing  fora 
moment  in  an  attitude  of  intense  expectation.  Her  eye 
became  brighter,  and  the  bloom  on  her  cheek  even  deeper 
than  before,  while  pleasure  and  hope  were  both  strongly 
depicted  on  her  beautiful  face.  "  Hush  !  "  she  continued, 
motioning  to  Ludlow  to  repress  his  feelings.  "  Did  you 
hear  nothing?" 

The  disappointed  and  yet  admiring  young  man  was 
silent,  though  he  watched  her  singularly  interesting  air 
and  lovely  features,  with  all  the  intenseness  that  seemed 
to  characterize  her  owrn  deportment.  As  no  sound  fol 
lowed  that  which  Alida  had  heard,  or  fancied  she  had 
heard,  she  resumed  her  seat,  arid  appeared  to  lend  her  at 
tention  once  more  to  her  companion. 

"  You  were  speaking  of  mountains  ? "  she  said,  scarce 
knowing  what  she  uttered.  "The  passage  between  the 
bays  of  Newburgh  and  Tappan  has  scarce  a  rival,  as  I 
have  heard  from  travelled  men." 

"  I  was  indeed  speaking  of  a  mountain,  but  it  \vas  of 


238  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

one  that  weighs  on  my  heart.  Your  inexplicable  conduct 
and  cruel  indifference  have  heaped  it  on  my  feelings, 
Alida.  You  have  said  that  there  is  no  hope  for  Oloff  Van 
Staats,  and  one  syllable,  spoken  with  your  native  ingenu 
ousness  and  sincerity,  has  had  the  effect  to  blow  all  my 
apprehensions  from  that  quarter  to  the  winds.  There  re 
mains  only  to  account  for  your  absence,  to  resume  the 
whole  of  your  power  over  one  who  is  but  too  readily  dis 
posed  to  confide  in  all  you  say  or  do." 

La  belle  Barberie  seemed  touched.  Her  glance  at  the 
young  sailor  was  kinder,  and  her  voice  wanted  some  of 
its  ordinary  steadiness  in  the  reply. 

"  That  power  has  then  been  weakened." 

"You  will  despise  me  if  I  say  no — you  will  distrust  me 
if  I  say  yes." 

"  Then  silence  seems  the  course  best  adapted  to  main 
tain  our  present  amity.  Surely  I  heard  a  blow  struck, 
lightly,  on  the  shutter  of  that  window  ! " 

"Hope  sometimes  deceives  us.  This  repeated  belief 
would  seem  to  say  that  you  expect  a  visitor  ?" 

A  distinct  tap  on  the  shutter  confirmed  the  impression 
of  the  mistress  of  the  pavilion.  Alida  looked  at  her  com 
panion  and  appeared  embarrassed.  Her  color  varied,  and 
she  seemed  anxious  to  utter  something  that  either  her 
feelings  or  her  prudence  suppressed. 

"  Captain  Ludlow,  you  have  once  before  been  an  unex 
pected  witness  of  an  interview  in  la  Cour  des  Fees  that 
has,  I  fear,  subjected  me  to  unfavorable  surmises.  But 
one  manly  and  generous  as  yourself  can  have  indulgence 
for  the  little  vanities  of  woman.  I  expect  a  visit  that, 
perhaps,  a  queen's  officer  should  not  countenance." 

"  I  am  no  exciseman,  to  pry  into  wardrobes  and  secret 
repositories,  but  one  whose  duty  it  is  to  act  only  on  the 
high  seas,  and  against  the  more  open  violators  of  the  law. 
If  you  have  any  without,  whose  presence  you  desire,  let 
them  enter  without  dread  of  my  office.  When  we  meet 
in  a  more  suitable  place,  I  shall  know  how  to  take  my  re 
venge." 

His  companion  looked  grateful,  and  bowed  her  ac 
knowledgments.  She  then  made  a  ringing  sound  by  using 
a  spoon  on  the  interior  of  the  vessels  of  the  tea  equipage. 
The  shrubbery  which  shaded  a  window  stirred,  and  pres 
ently  the  young  stranger,  already  so  well  known  in  the 
former  pages  of  this  work,  and  in  the  scenes  of  the  brigan- 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  239 

tine,  appeared  in  the  low  balcony.  His  person  was  scarcely 
seen,  before  a  light  bale  of  goods  was  tossed  past  him, 
into  the  centre  of  the  room. 

"I  send  my  certificate  of  character  as  an  avant-courier," 
said  the  gay  dealer  in  contraband,  or  Master  Seadrift, 
as  he  was  called  by  the  Alderman,  touching  his  cap  gal 
lantly,  to  the  mistress  of  la  Cour  des  Fees,  and  then 
somewhat  more  ceremoniously  to  her  companion ;  after 
which  he  returned  the  gold-bound  covering  to  its  seat,  on 
a  bed  of  rich  and  glossy  curls,  and  sought  his  package. 
"  Here  is  one  more  customer  than  I  bargained  for,  and  I 
look  to  more  than  common  gain !  We  have  met  before, 
Captain  Ludlow." 

"  We  have,  Sir  Skimmer  of  the  Seas,  and  we  shall  meet 
again.  Winds  may  change,  and  fortune  yet  favor  the  right ! " 

"  We  trust  to  the  sea-green  lady's  care,"  returned  the 
extraordinary  smuggler,  pointing  with  a  species  of  rever 
ence,  real  or  affected,  to  the  image  that  was  beautifully 
worked,  in  rich  colors,  on  the  velvet  of  his  cap.  "  What 
has  been  will  be,  and  the  past  gives  a  hope  for  the  future. 
We  meet  here  on  neutral  ground,  I  trust." 

"  I  am  the  commander  of  a  royal  cruiser,  sir,"  haughtily 
returned  the  other. 

"  Queen  Anne  may  be  proud  of  her  servant ! — but  we 
neglect  our  affairs.  A  thousand  pardons,  lovely  mistress 
of  la  Cour  des  Fees.  This  meeting  of  two  rude  mariners 
does  a  slight  to  your  beauty,  and  little  credit  to  the  fealty 
due  the  sex.  Having  done  with  all  compliments,  I  have 
to  offer  certain  articles  that  never  fail  to  cause  the  bright 
est  eyes  to  grow  more  brilliant,  and  at  which  duchesses 
have  gazed  with  many  longings." 

"You  speak  with  confidence  of  your  associations,  Master 
Ssadrift,  and  rate  noble  personages  among  your  cus 
tomers  as  familiarly  as  if  you  dealt  in  offices  of  State." 

"  This  skilful  servitor  of  the  Queen  will  tell  you,  lady, 
that  the  wind  which  is  a  gale  on  the  Atlantic  may  scarce 
cocl  the  burning  cheek  of  a  girl  on  the  land,  and  that  the 
links  in  life  are  as  curiously  interlocked  as  the  ropes  of  a 
ship.  The  Ephesian  temple  and  the  Indian  wigwam  rested 
on  the  same  earth." 

"  From  which  you  infer  that  rank  does  not  alter  nature. 
We  must  admit,  Captain  Ludlow,  that  Master  Seadrift  un 
derstands  a  woman's  heart  when  he  tempts  her  with  stores 
of  tissues  gay  as  these." 


240  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

Ludlow  had  watched  the  speakers  in  silence.  The  man 
ner  of  Alida  was  far  less  embarrassed  than  when  he  had 
before  seen  her  in  the  smuggler's  company ;  and  his  blood 
fired,  when  he  saw  that  their  eyes  met  with  a  secret  and 
friendly  intelligence.  He  had  remained,  however,  with  a 
resolution  to  be  calm,  and  to  know  the  worst.  Con 
quering  the  expression  of  his  feelings  by  a  great  effort,  he 
answered  with  an  exterior  of  composure,  though  not  with 
out  some  of  that  bitterness  in  his  emphasis  which  he  felt 
at  his  heart. 

"  If  Master  Seadrift  has  this  knowledge,  he  may  value 
himself  on  his  good  fortune,"  was  the  reply. 

"Much  intercourse  with  the  sex,  who  are  my  best 
customers,  has  something  helped  me,"  returned  the 
cavalier  dealer  in  contraband.  "  Here  is  a  brocade  whose 
fellow  is  worn  openly  in  the  presence  of  our  royal  mistress, 
though  it  came  from  the  forbidden  looms  of  Italy  ;  and 
the  ladies  of  the  court  return  from  patriotically  dancing 
in  the  fabrics  of  home,  to  please  the  public  eye,  once  in 
the  year,  to  wear  these  more  agreeable  inventions,  all  the 
rest  of  it,  to  please  themselves.  Tell  me,  why  does  the 
Englishman,  with  his  pale  sun,  spend  thousands  to  force 
a  sickly  imitation  of  the  gifts  of  the  tropics,  but  because  he 
pines  for  forbidden  fruit  ?  or  why  does  your  Paris  gourmand 
roll  a  fig  on  his  tongue  that  a  lazzarone  of  Naples  would 
cast  into  his  bay,  but  because  he  wishes  to  enjoy  the 
bounties  of  a  low  latitude  under  a  watery  sky  ?  I  have 
seen  an  individual  feast  on  the  eau  sucre  of  an  European 
pine,  that  cost  a  guinea,  while  his  palate  would  have 
refused  the  same  fruit,  with  its  delicious  compound  of 
acid  and  sweet,  mellowed  to  ripeness  under  a  burning 
sun,  merely  because  he  could  have  it  for  nothing.  This 
is  the  secret  of  our  patronage  ;  and  as  the  sex  are  most 
liable  to  its  influence,  we  owe  them  most  gratitude." 

"  You  have  travelled,  Master  Seadrift,"  returned  la  Belle, 
smiling,  while  she  tossed  the  rich  contents  of  the  bale  on 
the  carpet,  "and  treat  of  usages  as  familiarly  as  you  speak 
of  dignities." 

"  The  lady  of  the  sea-green  mantle  does  not  permit  an 
idle  servant.  We  follow  the  direction  of  her  guiding 
hand  ;  sometimes  it  points  our  course  among  the  isles  of 
the  Adriatic,  and  at  others  on  your  stormy  American 
coasts.  There  is  little  of  Europe  between  Gibraltar  and 
the  Cattegat  that  I  have  not  visited." 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  241 

"  But  Italy  has  been  the  favorite,  if  one  may  judge  by 
the  number  of  her  fabrics  that  you  produce." 

'•  Italy,  France,  and  Flanders  divide  my  custom  ;  though 
you  are  right  in  believing  the  former  most  in  favor. 
Many  years  of  early  life  did  I  pass  on  the  noble  coasts  of 
that  romantic  region.  One  who  protected  and  guided  my 
infancy  and  youth  even  left  me  for  a  time  under  instruction 
on  the  little  plain  of  Sorrento." 

"  And  where  can  this  plain  be  found  ? — for  the  residence 
of  so  famous  a  rover  may,  one  day,  become  the  theme  of 
song,  and  is  likely  to  occupy  the  leisure  of  the  curious." 

"The  grace  of  the  speaker  may  well  excuse  the  irony! 
Sorrento  is  a  town  on  the  southern  shore  of  the  reno\vned 
Naples  bay.  Fire  has  wrought  many  changes  in  that  soft 
but  \vild  country ;  and  if,  as  religionists  believe,  the 
fountains  of  the  great  deep  were  ever  broken  up,  and  the 
earth's  crust  disturbed,  to  permit  its  secret  springs  to  issue 
on  the  surface,  this  may  have  been  one  of  the  spots  chosen 
by  Him  whose  touch  leaves  marks  that  are  indelible,  in 
which  to  show  his  power.  The  bed  of  the  earth  itself,  in 
all  that  region,  appears  to  have  been  but  the  vomitings  of 
volcanoes  ;  and  the  Sorrentine  passes  his  peaceable  life  in 
the  bed  of  an  extinguished  crater.  'Tis  curious  to  see  in 
what  manner  the  men  of  the  middle  ages  have  built  their 
town,  on  the  margin  of  the  sea,  where  the  element  has 
swallowed  one-half  the  ragged  basin,  and  how  they  have 
taken  the  yawning  crevices  of  the  tufa  for  ditches  to 
protect  their  walls.  I  have  visited  many  lands,  and  seen 
nature  in  nearly  every  clime  ;  but  no  spot  has  yet  pre 
sented,  in  a  single  view,  so  pleasant  a  combination  of 
natural  objects,  mingled  with  mighty  recollections,  as  that 
lovely  abode  on  the  Sorrentine  cliffs  !" 

"Recount  me  these  pleasures  that  in  memory  seem 
so  agreeable,  while  I  examine  farther  into  the  contents  of 
the  bale." 

The  gay  young  freetrader  paused,  and  seemed  lost  in 
images  of  the  past.  Then,  with  a  melancholy  smile,  he 
soon  continued.  "  Though  many  years  are  gone,"  he  said, 
"  I  can  recall  the  beauties  of  that  scene  as  vividly  as  if  they 
still  stood  before  the  eye.  Our  abode  was  on  the  verge  of 
the  cliffs.  In  front  lay  the  deep  blue  water,  and  on  its 
farther  shore  was  a  line  of  objects  such  as  accident  or  design 
rarely  assembles  in  one  view.  Fancy  thyself,  lady,  at  my 
side,  and  follow  the  curvature  of  the  northern  shore,  as  I 
16 


242  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

trace  the  outline  of  that  glorious  scene  !  That  high, 
mountainous,  and  ragged  island  on  the  extreme  left,  is 
modern  Ischia.  Its  origin  is  unknown,  though  piles  of  lava 
lie  along  its  coast,  which  seems  fresh  as  that  thrown  from 
the  mountain  yesterday.  The  long,  low,  bit  of  land,  in 
sulated  like  its  neighbor,  is  called  Procida,  a  scion  of  ancient 
Greece.  Its  people  still  preserve,  in  dress  and  speech, 
marks  of  their  origin.  The  narrow  strait  conducts  you  to 
a  high  and  naked  bluff.  That  is  the  Misenum  of  old.  Here 
^Eneas  came  to  land,  and  Rome  held  her  fleets,  and  thence 
Pliny  took  the  water,  to  get  a  nearer  view  of  the  labors  of 
the  volcano,  after  its  awakening  from  centuries  of  sleep. 
In  the  hollow  of  the  ridge,  between  that  naked  bluff  and 
the  next  swell  of  the  mountain,  lie  the  fabulous  Styx,  the 
Elysian  fields,  and  the  place  of  the  dead,  as  fixed  by  the 
Mantuan.  More  on  the  height  and  nearer  to  the  sea,  lie, 
buried  in  the  earth,  the  vast  vaults  of  the  Piscina  Mirabilis, 
and  the  gloomy  caverns  of  the  Hundred  Chambers  ;  places 
that  equally  denote  the  luxury  and  the  despotism  of  Rome. 
Nearer  to  the  vast  pile  of  castle,  that  is  visible  so  many 
leagues,  is  the  graceful  and  winding  Baiaean  harbor,  and 
against  the  side  of  its  sheltering  hills  once  lay  the  city  of 
villas.  To  that  sheltered  hill  emperors,  consuls,  poets,  and 
warriors  crowded  from  the  capital,  in  quest  of  repose,  and 
to  breathe  the  pure  air  of  a  spot  in  which  pestilence  has 
since  made  its  abode.  The  earth  is  still  covered  with  the 
remains  of  their  magnificence,  and  ruins  of  temples  and 
baths  are  scattered  freely  among  the  olives  and  fig  trees  of 
the  peasant.  A  fainter  bluff  limits  the  northeastern  boun 
dary  of  the  little  bay.  On  it  once  stood  the  dwellings  of 
emperors.  There  Caesar  sought  retirement,  and  the  warm 
springs  on  its  side  are  yet  called  the  baths  of  the  bloody 
Nero.  That  small,  conical  hill,  which,  as  you  see,  possesses 
a  greener  and  fresher  look  than  the  adjoining  land,  is  a 
cone  ejected  by  the  caldron  beneath,  but  two  brief  centuries 
since.  It  occupies,  in  part,  the  site  of  the  ancient  Lucrine 
lake.  All  that  remains  of  that  famous  receptacle  of  the 
epicure  is  the  small  and  shallow  sheet  at  its  base,  which  is 
separated  from  the  sea  by  a  mere  thread  of  sand.  More  in 
the  rear,  and  surrounded  by  dreary  hills,  lie  the  waters  of 
Avernus.  On  their  banks  still  stand  the  ruins  of  a  temple, 
in  which  rites  were  celebrated  to  the  infernal  deities.  The 
grotto  of  the  Sibyl  pierces  that  ridge  on  the  left,  and  the 
Cumaean  passage  is  nearly  in  its  rear.  The  town  which  is 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  243 

seen  a  mile  to  the  right  is  Pozzuoli — a  port  of  the  ancients, 
and  a  spot  now  visited  for  its  temples  of  Jupiter  and  Nep 
tune,  its  mouldering  amphitheatre,and  its  half-buried  tombs. 
Here  Caligula  attempted  his  ambitious  bridge  ;  and  while 
crossing  thence  to  Baiae,  the  vile  Nero  had  the  life  of  his 
own  mother  assailed.  It  was  there,  too,  that  holy  Paul 
came  to  land,  when  journeying  a  prisoner  to  Rome.  The 
small  but  high  island,  nearly  in  its  front,  is  Nisida,  the  place 
to  which  Marcus  Brutus  retired  after  the  deed  at  the  foot 
of  Pompey's  statue,  where  he  possessed  a  villa,  and  whence 
he  and  Cassius  sailed  to  meet  the  shade  and  the  vengeance 
of  the  murdered  Caesar  at  Philippi.  Then  comes  a  crowd 
of  sites  more  known  in  the  middle  ages  ;  though  just  below 
that  mountain,  in  the  background,  is  the  famous  subter 
ranean  road  of  which  Strabo  and  Seneca  are  said  to  speak, and 
through  which  the  peasant  still  daily  drives  his  ass  to  the 
markets  of  the  modern  city.  At  its  entrance  is  the  reputed 
tomb  of  Virgil,  and  then  commences  an  amphitheatre  of 
white  and  terraced  dwellings.  This  is  noisy  Napoli  itself, 
crowned  with  its  rocky  castle  of  St.  Elmo  !  The  vast  plain, 
to  the  right,  is  that  which  held  the  enervating  Capua  and 
so  many  other  cities  on  its  bosom.  To  this  succeeds  the  in 
sulated  mountain  of  the  volcano,  with  its  summit  torn  in 
triple  tops.  Tis  said  that  villas  and  villages,  towns  and 
cities,  lie  buried  beneath  the  vineyards  and  palaces  which 
crowd  its  base.  The  ancient  and  unhappy  city  of  Pompeii 
stood  on  that  luckless  plain,  which,  following  the  shores  of 
the  bay,  comes  next  ;  and  then  we  take  up  the  line  of  the 
mountain  promontory,  which  forms  the  Sorrentine  side  of 
the  water  !  " 

"One  who  has  had  such  schooling,  should  know  better 
how  to  turn  it  to  a  good  account,"  said  Ludlow,  sternly, 
when  the  excited  smuggler  ceased  to  speak. 

"  In  other  lands,  men  derive  their  learning  from  books  ; 
in  Italy,  children  acquire  knowledge  by  the  study  of  visible 
things,"  was  the  undisturbed  answer. 

"  Some  from  this  country  are  fond  of  believing  that  our 
own  bay,  these  summer  skies,  and  the  climate  in  general, 
should  have  a  strict  resemblance  to  those  of  a  region  which 
lies  precisely  in  our  own  latitude,"  observed  Alida,  so 
hastily,  as  to  betray  a  desire  to  preserve  the  peace  between 
her  guests. 

"Th.it  your  Manhattan  and  Raritan  waters  are  broad 
and  pleasant,  none  can  deny,  and  that  lovely  beings  dwell 


244  THE   WAITER-WITCH. 

on  their  banks,  lady,"  returned  Seadrift,  gallantly  lifting 
his  cap,  "  my  own  senses  have  witnessed.  But  'twere 
wiser  to  select  some  other  point  of  your  excellence  for 
comparison  than  a  competition  with  the  glorious  waters, 
the  fantastic  and  mountain  isles,  and  the  sunny  hillsides  of 
modern  Napoli  !  'Tis  certain  the  latitude  is  even  in  your 
favor,  and  that  a  beneficent  sun  does  not  fail  of  its  office  in 
one  region  more  than  in  the  other.  But  the  forests  of 
America  are  still  too  pregnant  of  vapors  and  exhalations 
not  to  impair  the  purity  of  the  native  air.  If  I  have  seen 
much  cf  the  Mediterranean,  neither  am  I  a  stranger  to  these 
coasts.  While  there  are  so  many  points  of  resemblance  in 
their  climates,  there  are  also  many  and  marked  causes  of 
difference." 

"Teach  us,  then,  what  forms  these  distinctions,  that,  in 
speaking  of  our  bay  and  skies,  we  may  not  be  led  into 
error." 

"You  do  me  honor,  lady  ;  I  a"m  of  no  great  schooling, 
and  of  humble  powers  of  speech.  Still,  the  little  that  ob 
servation  may  have  taught  me  shall  not  be  churlishly  with 
held.  Your  Italian  atmosphere,  taking  the  humidity  of  the 
seas,  is  sometimes  hazy.  Still  water  in  large  bodies,  other 
than  in  the  two  seas,  is  little  known  in  those  distant  coun 
tries.  Few  objects  in  nature  are  dryer  than  an  Italian 
river,  during  those  months  when  the  sun  has  most  influ 
ence.  The  effect  is  visible  in  the  air,  which  is  in  general 
elastic,  dry,  and  obedient  to  the  general  laws  of  the  climate. 
There  floats  less  exhalation,  in  the  form  of  fine  and  nearly 
invisible  vapor,  than  in  these  wooded  regions.  At  least,  so 
he  of  whom  I  spoke,  as  one  who  guided  my  youth,  was 
wont  to  say." 

"You  hesitate  to  tell  us  of  our  skies,  our  evening  light, 
and  of  our  bay." 

"  It  shall  be  said,  and  said  sincerely.  Of  the  bays,  each 
seems  to  have  been  appropriated  to  that  for  which  nature 
most  intended  it — the  one  is  poetic,  indolent,  and  full  of 
graceful  but  glorious  beauty  ;  more  pregnant  of  enjoy 
ment  than  of  usefulness.  The  other  will,  one  day,  be  the 
mart  of  the  world." 

"You  still  shrink  from  pronouncing  on  their  beauty," 
said  Alida,  disappointed  in  spite  of  an  affected  indifference 
on  the  subject. 

"  It  is  ever  the  common  fault  of  old  communities  to 
overvalue  themselves,  and  to  undervalue  new  actors  in  the 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  245 

great  drama  of  nations,  as  men  long  successful  disregard 
the  efforts  of  new  aspirants  for  favor,"  said  Seadrift,  while 
he  looked  with  amazement  at  the  pettish  eye  of  the  frown 
ing  beauty.  "  In  this  instance,  however,  Europe  has  riot 
so  greatly  erred.  They  who  see  much  resemblance  between 
the  bay  of  Naples  and  this  of  Manhattan  have  fertile  brains  ; 
since  it  rests  altogether  on  the  circumstance  that  there  is 
much  water  in  both,  and  a  passage  between  an  island  and 
the  mainland,  in  one,  to  resemble  a  passage  between  two 
islands  in  the  other.  This  is  an  estuary,  that  a  gulf  ;  and 
while  the  former  has  the  green  and  turbid  water  of  a  shelv 
ing  shore  and  tributary  rivers,  the  latter  has  the  blue  and 
limpid  element  of  a  deep  sea.  In  these  distinctions,  I  take 
no  account  of  ragged  and  rocky  mountains,  with  the  in 
describable  play  of  golden  and  rosy  light  upon  their  broken 
surfaces,  nor  of  a  coast  that  teems  with  the  recollections  of 
three  thousand  years  !  " 

"  I  fear  to  question  more.  But  surely  our  skies  may  be 
mentioned,  even  by  the  side  of  those  you  vaunt  ? " 

"Of  the  skies,  truly,  you  have  more  reason  to  be  confi 
dent.  I  remember  that  standing  on  the  Capo  di  Monte, 
which  overlooks  the  little,  picturesque,  and  crowded  beach 
of  the  Marina  Grande,  and  Sorrento,  a  spot  that  teems 
with  ail  that  is  poetic  in  the  fisherman's  life,  he  of  whom  I 
have  spoken,  once  pointed  to  the  transparent  vault  above, 
and  said,  'There  is  the  moon  of  America!'  The  colors  of 
the  rocket  were  not  more  vivid  than  the  stars  that  night, 
for  a  Tramontana  had  swept  every  impurity  from  the  air, 
far  upon  the  neighboring  sea.  But  nights  like  that  are 
rare,  indeed,  in  any  clime  !  The  inhabitants  of  low  lati 
tudes  enjoy  them  occasionally  ;  those  of  higher,  never." 

"  Then  our  flattering  belief,  that  these  western  sunsets 
rival  those  of  Italy,  is  delusion  ? " 

"Not  so,  lady.  They  rival  without  resembling.  The 
color  of  the  etui,  on  which  so  fair  a  hand  is  resting,  is  not 
softer  than  the  hues  one  sees  in  the  heavens  of  Italy.  But 
if  your  evening  sky  wants  the  pearly  light,  the  rosy  clouds, 
and  the  soft  tints  which,  at  that  hour,  melt  into  each  other, 
across  the  entire  vault  of  Napoli,  it  far  excels  in  the  vivid 
ness  of  the  glow,  in  the  depth  of  the  transitions,  and  in 
the  richness  of  colors.  Those  are  only  more  delicate, 
while  these  are  more  gorgeous !  When  there  shall  be  less 
exhalation  from  your  forests,  the  same  causes  may  pro 
duce  the  same  effects.  Until  then  America  must  be  con- 


246  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

tent  to  pride  herself  on  an  exhibition  of  nature's  beauty  in 
a  new,  though  scarcely  in  a  less  pleasing,  form." 

"  Then  they  who  come  among  us  from  Europe  are  but 
half  right  when  they  deride  the  pretensions  of  our  bay 
and  heavens?" 

"Which  is  much  nearer  the  truth  than  they  are  wont  tu 
t>e,  on  the  subject  of  this  continent.  Speak  of  the  many 
rivers,  the  double  outlets  and  numberless  basins,  and  the 
unequalled  facilities  of  your  Manhattan  harbor  ;  for  in 
time  they  will  come  to  render  all  the  beauties  of  the  un 
rivalled  bay  of  Naples  vain  ;  but  tempt  not  the  stranger  to 
push  the  comparison  beyond.  Be  grateful  for  your  skies, 
lady,  for  few  live  under  fairer  or  more  beneficent.  But  I 
tire  you  with  these  opinions,  when  here  are  colors  that 
have  more  charms  for  a  young  and  lively  imagination  than 
even  the  tints  of  nature  ! " 

La  belle  Barberie  smiled  on  the  dealer  in  contraband 
with  an  interest  that  sickened  Ludlow  ;  and  she  was  about 
to  reply,  in  better  humor,  when  the  voice  of  her  uncle  an 
nounced  his  near  approach. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

There  shall  be,  in  England,  seven  half-penny  loaves  sold  for  a  penny. 
The  three-hooped  pot  shall  have  ten  hoops  ;  and  I  will  make  it  felony  to 
drink  small  beer. — Jack  Cade. 

HAD  Alderman  Van  Beverout  been  a  party  in  the  pre 
ceding  dialogue,  he  could  not  have  uttered  words  more 
apposite  than  the  exclamation  with  which  he  first  saluted 
the  ears  of  those  in  the  pavilion. 

"  Gales  and  climates  !  "  exclaimed  the  merchant,  enter 
ing  with  an  open  letter  in  his  hand.  "  Here  are  advices 
received,  by  way  of  Curacoa  and  the  coast  of  Africa,  that 
the  good  ship  Musk-Rat  met  winds  off  the  Azores  which 
lengthened  her  passage  home  to  seventeen  weeks  ;  this  is 
too  much  precious  time  wasted  between  markets,  Captain 
Cornelius  Ludlow,  and  'twill  do  discredit  to  the  good 
character  of  the  ship,  which  has  hitherto  always  main 
tained  a  sound  reputation,  never  needing  more  than  the 
regular  seven  months  to  make  the  voyage  home  and  out 
again.  If  our  vessels  fall  into  this  lazy  train,  we  shall 
never  get  a  skin  to  Bristol  till  it  is  past  use.  What  have 


THE  WATER-mZKff^  247 


we  here,  niece  !  Merchandise  !  aim  of  a  suspicious  fabric  ! 
Who  has  the  invoice  of  these  gooctej,  and  in  what  vessel 
were  they  shipped  ?" 

"  These  are  questions  that  may  be  better  answered  by 
their  owner,"  returned  la  Belle,  pointing  gravely,  and  not 
without  tremor  in  her  voice,  toward  the  dealer  in  contra 
band,  who,  at  the  approach  of  the  Alderman,  had  shrunk 
back  as  far  as  possible  from  view. 

Myndert  cast  an  uneasy  glance  at  the  unmoved  coun 
tenance  of  the  commander  of  the  royal  cruiser,  after  hav 
ing  bestowed  a  brief  but  understanding  look  at  the  con 
tents  of  the  bale.  "  Captain  Ltidlow,  the  chaser  is 
chased  !"  he  said.  ''After  sailing  about  the  Atlantic,  for 
a  week  or  more,  like  a  Jew  broker's  clerk  running  up  and 
down  the  Boom  Key  at  Rotterdam,  to  get  off  a  consign 
ment  of  damaged  tea,  we  are  fairly  caught  ourselves  !  To 
what  fall  in  prices,  or  change  in  the  sentiments  of  the 
Board  of  Trade,  am  I  indebted  for  the  honor  of  this  visitr 
Master  a — a — a — gay  dealer  in  green  ladies  and  bright 
tissues  ? " 

The  confident  and  gallant  manner  of  the  freetrader  had 
vanished.  In  its  place  there  appeared  a  hesitating  and 
embarrassed  air  that  the  individual  was  not  wont  to  ex 
hibit,  blended  with  some  apparent  indecision  on  the  sub 
ject  of  his  reply. 

"  It  is  the  business  of  those  who  hazard  much  in  order 
to  minister  to  the  wants  of  life,"  he  said,  after  a  pause  that 
was  sufficiently  expressive  of  the  entire  change  in  his  de 
meanor,  "to  seek  customers  where  there  is  a, reputation 
for  liberality.  I  hope  my  boldness  will  be  overlooked,  on 
account  of  its  motive,  and  that  you  will  aid  the  lady  in 
judging  of  the  value  of  my  articles,  and  of  their  reasona 
bleness  as  to  price,  with  your  own  superior  experience." 

Myndert  was  quite  as  much  astonished  by  this  language, 
and  the  subdued  manner  of  the  smuggler,  as  Ludlow  him 
self.  When  he  expected  the  heaviest  demand  on  his  ad 
dress,  in  order  to  check  the  usual  forward  and  reckless  fa 
miliarity  of  Seadrift,  in  order  that  his  connections  with  the 
Skimmer  of  the  Seas  might  be  as  much  as  possible  in 
volved  in  ambiguity,  to  his  own  amazement  he  found  his 
purpose  more  than  aided  by  the  sudden  and  extraordinary 
respect  with  which  he  was  treated.  Emboldened,  and  per 
haps  a  little  elevated  in  his  own  esteem,  by  this  unexpected 
deference,  which  the  worthy  Alderman,  shrewd  as  he  was 


248  THE  WATER-WITCH. 

in  common,  did  not  fail,  like  other  men,  to  impute  to 
some  inherent  quality  of  his  own,  he  answered  with  a 
greater  depth  of  voice  and  a  more  protecting  air,  than  he 
might  otherwise  have  deemed  it  prudent  to  assume  to  one 
who  had  so  frequently  given  ^him  proofs  of  his  own  fear, 
less  manner  of  viewing  things. 

"  This  is  being  more  eager  as  a  trader  than  prudent  as 
one  who  should  know  the  value  of  credit,"  he  said,  mak 
ing,  at  the  same  time,  a  lofty  gesture  to  betoken  indul 
gence  for  so  venial  an  error,  "We  must  overlook  the 
mistake,  Captain  Ludlow,  since,  as  the  young  man  truly 
observes  in  his  defence,  gain  acquired  in  honest  traffic  is  a 
commendable  and  wholesome  pursuit.  One  who  appears 
as  if  he  might  not  be  ignorant  of  the  laws,  should  know 
that  our  virtuous  Queen  and  her  wise  counsellors  have  de 
cided  that  Mother  England  can  produce  most  that  a  col 
onist  can  consume  !  Aye  !  and  that  she  can  consume,  too, 
most  that  the  colonist  can  produce  !  " 

"  I  pretend  not  to  this  ignorance,  sir ;  but,  in  pursuing 
my  humble  barter,  I  merely  follow  a  principle  of  nature 
by  endeavoring  to  provide  for  my  own  interests.  We  of 
the  contraband  do  but  play  at  hazard  with  the  authori 
ties.  When  we  pass  the  gauntlet  unharmed,  we  gain  ;  and 
when  we  lose,  the  servants  of  the  crown  find  their  profit. 
The  stakes  are  equal,  and  the  game  should  not  be  stigma 
tized  as  unfair.  Would  the  rulers  of  the  world  once  re 
move  the  unnecessary  shackles  they  impose  on  commerce, 
our  calling  would  disappear,  and  the  name  of  freetrader 
would  then  belong  to  the  richest  and  most  esteemed 
houses." 

The  Alderman  drew  a  long,  low  whistle.  Motioning  to 
his  companion  to  be  seated,  he  placed  his  own  compact 
person  in  a  chair,  crossed  his  legs  with  an  air  of  self-com 
placency,  and  resumed  the  discourse. 

"  These  are  very  pretty  sentiments,  Master — a — a — a — 
you  bear  a  worthy  name  no  doubt,  my  ingenious  com 
mentator  on  commerce  ? " 

"They  call  me  Seadrift  when  they  spare  a  harsher 
term,"  returned  the  other,  meekly  declining  to  be  seated. 

"These  are  pretty  sentiments,  Master  Seadrift,  and  they 
mucli  become  a  gentleman  who  lives  by  practical  com 
ments  on  the  revenue  laws.  This  is  a  wise  world,  Captain 
Cornelius  Ludlow,  and  in  it  there  are  many  men  whose 
heads  are  filled,  like  bales  of  goods,  with  a  general  assort' 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  249 

ment  of  ideas.  Hornbooks  and  primers  !  Here  have 
Van  Bummel,  Schoenbroeck,  and  Van  der  Donck,  just 
sent  me  a  very  neatly-folded  pamphlet,  written  in  good 
Leyden  Dutch,  to  prove  that  trade  is  an  exchange  of  what 
the  author  calls  equivalents,  and  that  nations  have  nothing 
to  do  but  throw  open  their  ports  in  order  to  make  a  mil 
lennium  among  the  merchants." 

*'  There  are  many  ingenious  men  who  entertain  the  same 
opinions,"  observed  Ludlow,  steady  in  his  resolution  to  be 
merely  a  quiet  observer  of  all  that  passed. 

"What  cannot  a  cunning  head  devise,  to  spoil  paper 
with  !  Trade  is  a  racer,  gentlemen,  and  merchants  the 
jockeys  who  ride.  He  who  carries  most  weight  may  lose  ; 
but  then  nature  does  not  give  all  men  the  same  dimensions, 
and  judges  are  as  necessary  to  the  struggles  of  the  mart  as 
to  those  of  the  course.  Go,  mount  your  gelding  if  you  are 
lucky  enough  to  have  one  that  has  not  been  melted  into  a 
weasel  by  the  heartless  blacks,  and  ride  out  to  Harlem 
Flats,  on  a  fine  October  day,  and  witness  the  manner  in 
which  the  trial  of  speed  is  made.  The  rogues  of  riders 
cut  in  here,  and  over  there  ;  now  the  whip  and  now  the 
spur  ;  and  though  they  start  fair,  which  is  more  than  can 
always  be  said  of  trade,  some  one  is  sure  to  win.  When  it 
is  neck  and  neck,  then  the  heat  is  to  be  gone  over,  until 
the  best  bottom  gains  the  prize." 

"  Why  is  it  then  that  men  of  deep  reflection  so  often 
think  that  commerce  flourishes  most  when  least  encum 
bered  ? " 

"  Why  is  one  man  born  to  make  laws,  and  another  to  break 
them  ?  Does  not  the  horse  run  faster  with  his  four  legs 
free,  than  when  in  hopples  ?  But  in  trade,  Master  Sea- 
drift,  and  Captain  Cornelius  Ludlow,  each  of  us  is  his  own 
jockey  ;  and  putting  the  aid  of  custom-house  laws  out  of 
the  question,  just  as  nature  has  happened  to  make  him. 
Fat  or  lean,  big  bones  or  fine  bones,  he  must  get  to  the 
goal  as  well  as  he  can.  Therefore  your  heavy  weights  call 
out  for  sand-bags  and  belts,  to  make  all  even.  That  the 
steed  may  be  crushed  with  his  load  is  no  proof  that  his 
chance  of  winning  will  not  be  better  by  bringing  all  the 
riders  to  the  same  level." 

"But  to  quit  these  similes,"  continued  Ludlow,  "if 
trade  be  but  an  exchange  of  equivalents " 

"  Beggary  and  stoppages  !  "  interrupted  the  Alderman, 
who  was  far  more  dogmatical  than  courteous  in  argument. 


2So  THE  WATER-WITCH, 

"  This  is  the  language  of  men  who  have  read  all  sorts  of 
books  but  ledgers.  Here  have  I  advices  from  Tongue  & 
Twaddle,  of  London,  which  state  the  net  proceeds  of  a 
little  adventure,  shipped  by  the  brig  Moose,  that  reached 
the  river  on  the  i6th  of  April,  ultimo.  The  history  of  the 
whole  transaction  can  be  put  in  a  child's  muff — you  are  a 
discreet  youth,  Captain  Cornelius  ;  and  as  to  you,  Master 
Seadrift,  the  affair  is  altogether  out  of  your  line — there 
fore,  as  I  was  observing,  here  are  the  items,  made  only  a 
fortnight  since,  in  the  shape  of  a  memorandum  ; "  while 
speaking,  the  Alderman  had  placed  his  spectacles  and 
drawn  his  tablets  from  a  pocket.  Adjusting  himself  to 
the  light,  he  continued  ;  "  Paid  bill  of  Sand,  Furnace,  and 
Glass,  for  beads,  ^£3  2  6.  Package  and  box,  i  io£.  Ship 
ping  charges  and  freight,  114.  Insurance  averaged  at, 
i  5.  Freight,  charges  and  commission  of  agent,  among 
Mohawks,  £10.  Do,  do.  do.  of  shipment  and  sale  of  furs, 
in  England,  ^7  2.  Total  of  costs  and  charges,  ^20  19  i£, 
all  in  sterling  money.  Note,  sale  of  furs,  to  Frost  &  Rich, 
net  avails,  ^196  113.  Balance,  as  per  contra,  ^175  12 
5  j- :  a  very  satisfactory  equivalent  this,  Master  Cornelius, 
to  appear  on  the  books  of  Tongue  &  Twaddle,  where  I 
stand  charged  with  the  original  investment  of  ^20  191^! 
How  much  the  Empress  of  Germany  may  pay  the  firm  of 
Frost  &  Rich  for  the  articles,  does  not  appear." 

"  Nor  does  it  appear  that  more  was  got  for  your  beads, 
in  the  Mohawk  country,  than  they  were  valued  at  there, 
or  was  paid  for  the  skins  than  they  were  worth  where  they 
were  produced." 

"  Whe-w-w-w  !  "  whistled  the  merchant,  as  he  returned 
the  tablets  to  his  pocket. 

11  One  would  think  that  thou  hadst  been  studying  the 
Leyden  pamphleteer,  son  of  my  old  friend !  If  the  savage 
thinks  so  little  of  his  skins,  and  so  much  of  my  beads,  I 
shall  never  take  the  pains  to  set  him  right ;  else,  always 
by  permission  of  the  Board  of  Trade,  we  shall  see  him, 
one  day,  turning  his  bark  canoe  into  a  good  ship  and  going 
in  quest  of  his  own  ornaments.  Enterprise  and  voyages  ! 
Who  knows  but  that  the  rogue  would  see  fit  to  stop  at 
London,  even  ;  in  which  case  the  mother  country  might 
lose  the  profit  of  the  sale  at  Vienna,  and  the  Mohawk  set 
up  his  carriage  on  the  difference  in  the  value  of  markets  ! 
Thus,  you  see,  in  order  to  run  a  fair  race,  the  horses  must 
start  even,  carry  equal  weights,  and,  after  all,  one  com.' 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  251 

monly  wins.  Your  metaphysics  are  no  better  than  so 
much  philosophical  gold  leaf,  which  a  cunning  reasoner 
beats  out  into  a  sheet  as  large  as  the  broadest  American 
lake,  to  make  dunces  believe  the  earth  can  be  transmuted 
into  the  precious  material  ;  while  a  plain,  practical  man 
puts  the  value  of  the  metal  into  his  pocket  in  good  cur 
rent  coin." 

"  And  yet  I  hear  you  complain  that  Parliament  has  leg 
islated  more  than  is  good  for  trade,  and  speak  in  a  man 
ner  of  the  proceedings  at  home,  that,  you  will  excuse  me 
for  saying,  would  better  become  a  Hollander  than  a  sub 
ject  of  the  crown." 

"  Have  I  not  told  you,  that  the  horse  will  run  faster 
without  the  rider  than  with  a  pack-saddle  on  his  back  ? 
Give  your  own  jockey  as  little,  and  your  adversary's  as 
much  weight  as  you  can,  if  you  wish  to  win.  I  complain 
of  the  borough-men,  because  they  make  laws  for  us,  and 
not  for  themselves.  As  I  often  tell  my  worthy  friend, 
Alderman  Gulp,  eating  is  good  for  life,  but  the  surfeit 
makes  a  will  necessary." 

"  From  all  which  I  infer,  that  the  opinions  of  your  Ley- 
den  correspondent  are  not  those  of  Mr.  Van  Beverout." 

The  Alderman  laid  a  finger  on  his  nose,  and  looked  at 
his  companions,  for  a  moment,  without  answering. 

"  Those  Leydeners  are  a  sagacious  breed  !  If  the  United 
Provinces  had  but  ground  to  stand  on,  they  would,  like 
the  philosopher  who  boasted  of  his  lever,  move  the  world  ! 
The  sly  rogues  think  that  the  Amsterdammers  have  nat 
urally  an  easy  seat,  and  they  wish  to  persuade  all  others 
to  ride  bare-back.  I  shall  send  a  pamphlet  up  into  the  In 
dian  country,  and  pay  some  scholar  to  have  it  translated 
into  the  Mohawk  tongue,  in  order  that  the  famous  chief 
Schendoh,  when  the  missionaries  shall  have  taught  him  to 
read,  may  entertain  right  views  of  equivalents  !  I  am  not 
certain  that  I  may  not  make  the  worthy  divines  a  present 
to  help  the  good  fruits  to  ripen." 

The  Alderman  leered  round  upon  his  auditors,  and  fold 
ing  his  hands  meekly  on  his  breast,  he  appeared  to  leave  his 
eloquence  to  work  its  own  effects. 

"  These  opinions  favor  but  little  the  occupation  of  the 
• — the  gentleman — who  now  honors  us  with  his  company," 
said  Ludlow,  regarding  the  gay-looking  smuggler  with  an 
eye  that  showed  how  much  he  was  embarrassed  to  find  a 
suitable  appellation  for  one  whose  appearance  was  so  much 


252  THE   WATER- WITCH. 

at  variance  with  his  pursuits.  "  If  restrictions  are  neces 
sary  to  commerce,  the  lawless  trader  is  surely  left  without 
an  excuse  for  his  calling." 

"  I  as  much  admire  your  discretion  in  practice,  as  the 
justice  of  your  sentiments  in  theory,  Captain  Ludlow,"  re 
turned  the  Alderman.  "  In  a  rencontre  on  the  high  seas, 
it  would  be  your  duty  to  render  captive  the  brigantine  of 
this  person  ;  but,  in  what  may  be  called  the  privacy  of  do 
mestic  retirement,  you  are  content  to  ease  your  mind  in 
moralities  !  I  feel  it  my  duty,  too,  to  speak  on  this  point, 
and  shall  take  so  favorable  an  occasion,  when  all  is  pacific, 
to  disburden  myself  of  some  sentiments  that  suggest  them 
selves  very  naturally  under  the  circumstances."  Myndert 
then  turned  himself  toward  the  dealer  in  contraband,  and 
continued,  much  in  the  manner  of  a  city  magistrate  read 
ing  a  lesson  of  propriety  to  some  disturber  of  the  peace  of 
society.  "  You  appear  here,  Master  Seadrift,"  he  said,  "  un 
der  what,  to  borrow  a  figure  from  your  profession,  may 
be  called  false  colors.  You  bear  the  countenance  of  one 
who  might  be  a  useful  subject;  and  yet  are  you  suspected 
of  being  addicted  to  certain  practices  which — I  will  not 
say  they  are  dishonest  or  even  discreditable,  for  on  that 
head  the  opinions  of  men  are  much  divided — but  which 
certainly  have  no  tendency  to  assist  her  Majesty  in  bring 
ing  her  wars  to  a  glorious  issue,  by  securing  to  her  Eu 
ropean  dominions  that  monopoly  of  trade,  by  which  it  is 
her  greatest  desire  to  ease  us  of  the  colonies  of  looking  any 
farther  after  our  particular  interests,  than  beyond  the  doors 
of  her  own  custom-houses.  This  is  an  indiscretion,  to 
give  the  act  its  gentlest  appellation  ;  and  I  regret  to  add, 
it  is  accompanied  by  certain  circumstances  which  rather 
heighten  than  lessen  the  delinquency."  The  Alderman 
paused  a  moment  to  observe  the  effect  of  his  admoni 
tion,  and  to  judge,  by  the  eye  of  the  freetrader,  how  much 
farther  he  might  push  his  artifice  ;  but,  perceiving,  to  his 
own  surprise,  that  the  other  bent  his  face  to  the  floor,  and 
stood  like  one  rebuked,  he  took  courage  to  proceed.  ''You 
have  introduced  into  this  portion  of  my  dwelling,  which  is 
exclusively  inhabited  by  my  niece,  who  is  neither  of  a  sex 
nor  of  years  to  be  legally  arraigned  of  any  oversight  of  this 
nature,  sundries  of  wrhich  it  is  the  pleasure  of  the  Queen's 
advisers  that  her  subjects  in  the  colonies  should  not  know 
the  use,  since,  in  the  nature  of  fabrications,  they  cannot 
be  submitted  to  the  supervising  care  of  the  ingenious  arti' 


THE   WATER.WITCH.  253 

sans  of  the  mother  island.  Woman,  Master  Seadrift,  is  a 
creature  liable  to  the  influence  of  temptation,  and  in  few 
things  is  she  weaker  than  in  her  efforts  to  resist  the  allure 
ments  of  articles  which  may  aid  in  adorning  her  person. 
My  niece,  the  daughter  of  Etienne  Barberie,  may  also  have 
an  hereditary  weakness  on  this  head,  since  the  females  of 
France  study  these  inventions  more  than  those  of  some 
other  countries.  It  is  not  my  intention,  however,  to  manifest 
any  unreasonable  severity  ;  since,  if  old  Etienne  has  com 
municated  any  hereditary  feebleness  on  the  subject  of  fancy, 
he  has  also  left  his  daughter  the  means  of  paying  for  it. 
Hand  in  your  account,  therefore,  and  the  debt  shall  be 
discharged,  if  debt  has  been  incurred.  And  this  brings 
me  to  the  last  and  the  gravest  of  your  offences. 

"Capital  is  no  doubt  the  foundation  on  which  a  mer 
chant  builds  his  edifice  of  character,"  continued  Myndert, 
after  taking  another  jealous  survey  of  the  countenance  of 
him  he  addressed  ;  "  the  credit  is  the  ornament  of  its  front. 
This  is  a  corner-stone  ;  that  the  pilasters  and  carvings  by 
which  the  building  is  rendered  pleasant  ;  sometimes,  when 
age  has  undermined  the  basement,  it  is  the  columns  on 
which  the  superstructure  rests,  or  even  the  roof  by  which 
the  occupant  is  sheltered.  It  renders  the  rich  man  safe, 
the  dealer  of  moderate  means  active  and  respectable,  and 
it  causes  even  the  poor  man  to  hold  up  his  head  in  hope, 
though  I  admit  that  buyer  and  seller  need  both  be  wary, 
when  it  stands  unsupported  by  any  substantial  base.  This 
being  the  value  of  credit,  Master  Seadrift,  none  should  as 
sail  it  without  sufficient  cause,  for  its  quality  is  of  a  nature 
too  tender  for  rude  treatment.  I  learned,  when  a  youth, 
in  my  travels  in  Holland,  through  which  country,  by  means 
of  the  Trekschuyts,  I  passed  with  sufficient  deliberation  to 
profit  by  what  was  seen,  the  importance  of  avoiding,  on  all 
occasions,  bringing  credit  into  disrepute.  As  one  event 
that  occurred  oifers  an  apposite  parallel  to  what  I  have 
now  to  advance,  I  shall  make  a  tender  of  the  facts  in  the 
way  of  illustration.  The  circumstances  show  the  awful  un 
certainty  of  things  in  this  transitory  life,  Captain  Ludlow, 
and  forewarn  the  most  vigorous  and  youthful,  that  the 
strong  arm  may  be  cut  down  in  his  pride,  like  the  tender 
plant  of  the  fields  !  The  banking-house  of  Van  Gelt  and 
Van  Stopper,  in  Amsterdam,  had  dealt  largely  in  securities 
issued  by  the  Emperor  for  the  support  of  his  wars.  It  hap 
pened,  at  the  time,  that  fortune  had  favored  the  Ottoman, 


254  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

who  was  then  pressing  the  city  of  Belgrade  with  some  pros 
pects  of  success.  Well,  sirs,  a  headstrong  and  ill-advised 
laundress  had  taken  possession  of  an  elevated  terrace  in 
the  centre  of  the  town,  in  order  to  dry  her  clothes.  This 
woman  was  in  the  act  of  commencing  the  distribution  of 
her  muslins  and  linens,  with  the  break  of  day,  when  the 
Mussulmans  awoke  the  garrison  by  a  rude  assault.  Some, 
wrho  had  been  posted  in  a  position  that  permitted  of  re 
treat,  having  seen  certain  bundles  of  crimson,  and  green, 
and  yellow,  on  an  elevated  parapet,  mistook  them  for  the 
heads  of  so  many  Turks  ;  and  they  spread  the  report,  far 
and  near,  that  a  countless  band  of  the  Infidels,  led  on  by  a 
vast  number  of  sherriffes  in  green  turbans,  had  gained 
the  heart  of  the  place,  before  they  were  induced  to  re 
tire. 

"  The  rumor  soon  took  the  shape  of  a  circumstantial  de 
tail,  and,  having  reached  Amsterdam,  it  caused  the  funds 
of  the  Imperialists  to  look  down.  There  was  much  ques 
tion,  on  the  Exchange,  concerning  the  probable  loss  of 
Van  Gelt  and  Van  Stopper  in  consequence.  Just  as  spec 
ulation  was  at  its  greatest  height  on  this  head,  the  monkey 
of  a  Savoyard  escaped  from  its  string,  and  concealed  itself 
in  a  nut  shop,  a  few  doors  distant  from  the  banking  house 
of  the  firm,  where  a  crowd  of  Jew  boys  collected  to  witness 
its  antics.  Men  of  reflection,  seeing  what  they  mistook  for 
a  demonstration  on  the  part  of  the  children  of  the  Israel 
ites,  began  to  feel  uneasiness  for  their  own  property. 
Drafts  multiplied  :  and  the  worthy  bankers,  in  order  to 
prove  their  solidity,  disdained  to  shut  their  doors  at  the 
usual  hour.  Money  was  paid  throughout  the  night  ;  and 
before  noon  on  the  following  day  Van  Gelt  had  cut  his 
throat,  in  a  surnmer-house  that  stood  on  the  banks  of  the 
Utrecht  Canal  ;  and  Van  Stopper  was  seen  smoking  a  pipe, 
among  strong  boxes  that  were  entirely  empty.  At  two 
o'clock,  the  post  brought  the  intelligence  that  the  Mus 
sulmans  were  repulsed,  and  that  the  laundress  was 
hanged  ;  though  I  never  knew  exactly  for  what  crime,  as 
she  certainly  was  not  a  debtor  of  the  unhappy  firm.  These 
are  some  of  the  warning  events  of  life,  gentlemen  ;  and  as 
I  feel  sure  of  addressing  those  who  are  capable  of  making 
the  application,  I  shall  now  conclude  by  advising  all  who 
hear  me  to  great  discretion  of  speech  on  every  matter  con 
nected  with  commercial  character." 

When   Myndert   ceased    speaking,    he    threw    another 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  255 

glance  around  him,  in  order  to  note  the  effect  his  words 
had  produced,  and  more  particularly  to  ascertain  whether 
he  had  not  drawn  a  draft  on  the  forbearance  of  the  free 
trader,  which  might  still  meet  with  a  protest.  He  was  at 
a  loss  to  aceount  for  the  marked  and  unusual  deference 
with  which  he  was  treated,  by  one  who, while  he  was  never 
coarse,  seldom  exhibited  much  complaisance  for  the 
opinions  of  a  man  he  was  in  the  habit  of  meeting  so 
familiarly  on  matters  of  pecuniary  interest.  During  the 
whole  of  the  foregoing  harangue,  the  young  mariner  of 
the  brigantine  had  maintained  the  same  attitude  of  modest 
attention  ;  and  when  his  eyes  were  permitted  to  rise,  it 
was  only  to  steal  uneasy  looks  at  the  face  of  Alida.  La 
belle  Barberie  had  also  listened  to  her  uncle's  eloquence 
with  a  more  thoughtful  air  than  common.  She  met  the 
occasional  glances  of  the  dealer  in  contraband  with 
answering  sympathy  ;  and,  in  short,  the  most  indifferent 
observer  of  their  deportment  might  have  seen  that  circum 
stances  had  created  between  them  a  confidence  and  intel 
ligence  which,  if  it  were  not  absolutely  of  the  most  tender, 
was  unequivocally  of  the  most  intimate  character.  All 
this  Ludlow  plainly  saw,  though  the  burgher  had  been  too 
much  engrossed  with  the  ideas  he  had  so  complacently 
dealt  out  to  note  the  fact. 

"  Now  that  my  mind  is  so  \vell  stored  with  maxims  on 
commerce,  which  I  shall  esteem  as  so  many  commentaries 
on  the  instructions  of  my  Lords  of  the  Admiralty,"  ob 
served  the  Captain,  after  a  brief  interval  of  silence,  "  it 
may  be  permitted  to  turn  our  attention  to  things  less 
metaphysical.  The  present  occasion  is  favorable  to  inquire 
after  the  fate  of  the  shipmate  we  lost  in  the  last  cruise  ; 
and  it  ought  by  no  means  to  be  neglected." 

"  You  speak  truth,  Mr.  Cornelius.  The  Patroon  of 
Kinderhook  is  not  a  man  to  fall  into  the  sea,  like  an  anker 
of  forbidden  liquor,  and  no  questions  asked.  Leave  this 
matter  to  my  discretion,  sir  ;  and  trust  me,  the  tenants  of 
the  third  best  estate  in  the  colony  shall  not  long  be  with 
out  tidings  of  their  landlord.  If  you  will  accompany 
Master  Seadrift  into  the  other  part  of  the  villa  for  a  reason 
able  time,  I  shall  possess  myself  of  all  the  facts  that  are  at 
all  pertinent  to  the  right  understanding  of  the  case." 

The  commander  of  the  royal  cruiser,  and  the  young 
mariner  of  the  brigantine,  appeared  to  think  that  a  com 
pliance  with  this  invitation  would  bring  about  a  singular 


256  THE   WATER- WITCH. 

association.  The  hesitation  of  the  latter,  however,  was  far 
the  most  visible,  since  Ludlow  had  coolly  determined  to 
maintain  his  neutral  character,  until  a  'proper  moment  to 
act,  as  a  faithful  servitor  of  his  royal  mistress,  should  arrive. 

He  knew,  or  firmly  believed,  that  the  Water- Witch  again 
lay  in  the  Cove,  concealed  by  the  shadows  of  the  surround 
ing  wood  ;  and  as  he  had  once  before  suffered  by  the 
superior  address  of  the  smugglers,he  was  now  resolved  to  act 
with  so  much  caution,  as  to  enable  him  to  return  to  his  ship 
in  time  to  proceed  against  her  with  decision,  and,  as  he 
hoped,  with  effect.  In  addition  to  this  motive  for  artifice, 
there  was  that  in  the  manner  and  language  of  the  contra 
band  dealer  to  place  him  altogether  above  the  ordinary 
men  of  his  pursuit,  and  indeed  to  create  in  his  favor  a  cer 
tain  degree  of  interest,  which  the  officer  of  the  crown  was 
compelled  to  admit.  He  therefore  bowed  writh  sufficient 
courtesy,  and  professed  his  readiness  to  follow  the  sugges 
tions  of  the  Alderman. 

"  We  have  met  on  neutral  ground,  Master  Seadrift,"  said 
Ludlow  to  his  gay  companion,  as  they  quitted  the  saloon 
of  la  Cour  des  Fees  ;  "and  though  bent  on  different  ob 
jects,  we  may  discourse  amicably  on  the  past.  The 
Skimmer  of  the  Seas  has  a  reputation  in  his  way,  that 
almost  raises  him  to  the  level  of  a  seaman  distinguished  in 
a  better  service.  I  will  ever  testify  to  his  skill  and  coolness 
as  a  mariner,  however  much  I  may  lament  that  those  fine 
qualities  have  received  so  unhappy  a  direction." 

"  This  is  speaking  with  a  becoming  reservation  for  the 
rights  of  the  Crown,  and  with  meet  respect  for  the  Barons 
of  the  Exchequer,"  retorted  Seadrift,  whose  former,  and 
we  may  say  natural,  spirit  seemed  to  return,  as  he  left  the 
presence  of  the  burgher.  "We  follow  the  pursuit,  Cap 
tain  Ludlow,  in  which  accident  has  cast  our  fortunes.  You 
serve  a  Queen  you  never  saw,  and  a  nation  who  will  use 
you  in  her  need  and  despise  you  in  her  prosperity  ;  and  I 
serve  myself.  Let  reason  decide  between  us." 

"I  admire  this  frankness,  sir,  and  have  hopes  of  a  better 
understanding  between  us,  now  that  you  have  done  with 
the  mystifications  of  your  sea-green  woman.  The  farce 
has  been  well  enacted  ;  though,  with  the  exception  of  Oloff 
Van  Staats  and  those  enlightened  spirits  you  lead  about 
the  ocean,  it  has  not  made  many  converts  to  necromancy." 

The  freetrader  permitted  his  handsome  mouth  to  relax 
in  a  smile. 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  257 


i< 


We  have  our  mistress,  too,"  he  said  ;  "but  she  exacts 
no  tribute.  All  that  is  gained  goes  to  enrich  her  subjects, 
while  all  that  she  knows  is  cheerfully  imparted  for  their 
use.  If  we  are  obedient,  it  is  because  we  have  experienced 
her  justice  and  wisdom.  I  hope  Queen  Anne  deals  as 
kindly  by  those  who  risk  life  and  limb  in  her  cause  ?" 

"  Is  it  part  of  the  policy  of  her  you  follow  to  reveal  the 
fate  of  the  Patroon  ?  for,  though  rivals  in  one  dear  object 
— or  rather  I  should  say,  once  rivals  in  that  object — I  can 
not  see  a  guest  quit  my  ship  with  so  little  ceremony  with 
out  an  interest  in  his  welfare." 

"  You  make  a  just  distinction,"  returned  Seadrift,  smil 
ing  still  more  meaningly  ;  "  once  rivals  is  indeed  the  better 
expression.  Mr.  Van  Staats  is  a  brave  man,  however 
ignorant  he  may  be  of  the  seaman's  art.  One  who  has 
shown  so  much  spirit  will  be  certain  of  protection  from 
personal  injury,  in  the  care  of  the  Skimmer  of  the  Seas." 

"  I  do  not  constitute  myself  the  keeper  of  Mr.  Van 
Staats  ;  still,  as  the  commander  of  the  ship  whence  he  has 
been — what  shall  I  term  the  manner  of  his  abduction  ? — 
for  I  would  not  willingly  use,  at  this  moment,  a  term  that 
may  prove  disagreeable— 

"  Speak  freely,  sir,  and  fear  not  to  offend.  We  of  the 
brigantine  are  accustomed  to  divers  epithets  that  might 
startle  less  practised  ears.  We  are  not  to  learn,  at  this 
late  hour,  that  in  order  to  become  respectable,  roguery 
must  have  the  sanction  of  government.  You  were  pleased, 
Captain  Ludlow,  to  name  the  mystifications  of  the  Water- 
Witch  ;  but  you  seem  indifferent  to  those  that  are  hourly 
practised  near  you  in  the  world,  and  which,  without  the 
pleasantry  of  this  of  ours,  have  not  half  its  innocence." 

"  There  is  little  novelty  in  the  expedient  of  seeking  to 
justify  the  delinquency  of  individuals  by  the  failings  of 
society." 

"  I  confess  it  is  rather  just  than  original.  Triteness  and 
truth  appear  to  be  sisters  !  And  yet  do  we  find  ourselves 
driven  to  this  apology,  since  the  refinement  of  us  of  the 
brigantine  has  not  yet  attained  to  the  point  of  understand 
ing  all  the  excellence  of  novelty  in  morals." 

"  I  believe  there  is  a  mandate  of  sufficient  antiquity, 
which  bid  us  to  render  unto  Caesar  the  things  which  are 
Caesar's." 

"  A  mandate  which  our  modern  Caesars  have  most  lib 
erally  construed  !  I  am  a  poor  casuist,  sir ;  nor  do  I  think 


258  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

the  royal  commander  of  the  Coquette  would  wish  to  up 
hold  all  that  sophistry  .can  invent  on  such  a  subject.  If 
we  begin  with  potentates,  for  instance,  we  shall  find  the 
Most  Christian  King  bent  on  appropriating  as  many  of 
his  neighbors'  goods  to  his  own  use,  as  ambition,  under 
the  name  of  glory,  can  covet  ;  the  Most  Catholic,  cover 
ing  with  his  mantle  of  his  Catholicity  a  greater  multitude 
of  enormities  on  this  very  continent,  than  even  charity  it 
self  could  conceal ;  and  our  own  gracious  sovereign,  whose 
virtues  and  whose  mildness  are  celebrated  in  verse  and  in 
prose,  causing  rivers  of  blood  to  run,  in  order  that  the  lit 
tle  island  over  which  she  rules  may  swell  out,  like  the 
frog  in  the  fable,  to  dimensions  that  nature  has  denied, 
and  which  will  one  day  inflict  the  unfortunate  death  that 
befell  the  ambitions  inhabitant  of  the  pool.  The  gallows 
awaits  the  pick-pocket ;  but  your  robber  under  a  pennant  is 
dubbed  a  knight !  The  man  who  amasses  wealth  by  gainful 
industry  is  ashamed  of  his  origin  ;  while  he  who  has  stolen 
from  churches,  laid  villages  under  contribution,  and  cut 
throats  by  thousands,  to  divide  the  spoils  of  a  galleon  or 
a  military  chest,  has  gained  gold  on  the  highway  to  glory  ! 
Europe  has  reached  an  exceeding  pass  of  civilization,  it 
may  not  be  denied ;  but  before  society  inflicts  so  severe 
censure  on  the  acts  of  individuals,  notwithstanding  the 
triteness  of  the  opinion,  I  must  say  it  is  bound  to  look 
more  closely  to  the  example  it  sets,  in  its  collective  charac 
ter." 

"  These  are  points  on  which  our  difference  of  opinion 
is  likely  to  be  lasting,"  said  Ludlow,  assuming  the  severe 
air  of  one  who  had  the  world  on  his  side.  "  We  will  de 
fer  the  discussion  to  a  moment  of  greater  leisure,  sir.  Am 
I  to  learn  more  of  Mr.  Van  Staats,  or  is  the  question  of 
his  fate  to  become  the  subject  of  a  serious  official  inquiry  ? " 

"The  Patroori  of  Kinderhook  is  a  bold  boarder!"  re 
turned  the  freetrader,  laughing.  "  He  has  carried  the  resi 
dence  of  the  lady  of  the  brigantine  by  a  coup-de-main  ; 
and  he  reposes  on  his  laurels  !  We  of  the  contraband  are 
merrier  in  our  privacy  than  is  thought,  and  those  who 
join  our  mess  seldom  wish  to  quit  it." 

"  There  may  be  occasion  to  look  farther  into  its  myste 
ries — until  when,  I  wish  you  adieu." 

"  Hold  ! "  gayly  cried  the  other,  observing  that  Ludlow 
was  about  to  quit  the  room,  "  let  the  time  of  uncertainty  be 
short,  I  pray  thee.  Our  mistress  is  like  the  insect  which 


THE   WATER- WITCH.  259 

takes  the  color  of  the  leaf  on  which  it  dwells.  You  have 
seen  her  in  her  sea-green  robe,  which  she  never  fails  to 
wear  when  roving  over  the  soundings  of  your  American 
coast ;  but  in  the  deep  waters  her  mantle  vies  with  the 
blue  of  the  ocean  depths.  Symptoms  of  a  change,  which 
always  denote  an  intended  excursion  far  beyond  the  influ 
ence  of  the  land,  have  been  seen." 

"  Harkee,  Master  Seadrift !  This  foolery  may  do,  while 
you  possess  the  power  to  maintain  it.  But  remember,  that 
though  the  law  only  punishes  the  illegal  trader  by  con 
fiscation  of  his  goods  when  taken,  it  punishes  the  kidnap 
per  with  personal  pains,  and  sometimes  with — death  !  And 
more — remember  that  the  line  which  divides  smuggling 
from  piracy  is  easily  passed,  while  the  return  becomes  im 
possible." 

"  For  this  generous  counsel,  in  my  mistress's  name,  I 
thank  thee,"  the  gay  mariner  replied,  bowing  with  a  grav 
ity  that  rather  heightened  than  concealed  his  irony. 
"  Your  Coquette  is  broad  in  the  reach  of  her  booms,  and 
swift  on  the  water,  Captain  Ludlow  ;  but  let  her  be  capri 
cious,  wilful,  deceitful,  nay  powerful,  as  she  may,  she 
shall  find  a  woman  in  the  brigantine  equal  to  all  her  arts, 
and  far  superior  to  all  her  threats  !  " 

With  this  prophetic  warning  on  the  part  of  the  Queen's 
officer,  and  cool  reply  on  that  of  the  dealer  in  contraband, 
the  two  sailors  separated.  The  latter  took  a  book  and 
threw  himself  into  a  chair,  with  a  well-maintained  indiffer 
ence  ;  while  the  other  left  the  house,  in  a  haste  that  was 
not  disguised. 

In  the  meantime,  the  interview  between  Alderman  Van 
Beverout  and  his  niece  still  continued.  Minute  passed 
after  minute,  yet  there  was  no  summons  to  the  pavilion. 
The  gay  young  seaman  of  the  brigantine  had  continued 
his  studies  for  some  time  after  the  disappearance  of  Lud 
low,  and  he  now  evidently  awaited  an  intimation  that  his 
presence  was  required  in  la  Cour  des  Fees.  During  these 
moments  of  anxiety,  the  air  of  the  freetrader  was  sorrow 
ful  rather  than  impatient  ;  and  when  a  footstep  was  heard 
at  the  door  of  the  room,  he  betrayed  symptoms  of  strong 
and  uncontrollable  agitation.  It  was  the  female  attendant 
of  Alida,  who  entered,  presented  a  slip  of  paper,  and  re 
tired.  The  eager  expectant  read  the  following  words, 
hastily  written  in  pencil: 

"  I  have  evaded  all  his  questions,  and  he  is  more  than 


26o  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

half  disposed  to  believe  in  necromancy.  This  is  not  the 
moment  to  confess  the  truth,  for  he  is  not  in  a  condition  to 
hear  it,  being  already  much  disturbed  by  the  uncertainty 
of  what  may  follow  the  appearance  of  the  brigantine  on 
the  coast,  and  so  near  his  own  villa.  But,  be  assured,  he 
shall  and  will  acknowledge  claims  that  I  know  how  to  sup 
port,  and  which,  should  I  fail  of  establishing,  he  would  not 
dare  to  refuse  to  the  redoubtable  Skimmer  of  the  Seas. 
Come  hither,  the  moment  you  hear  his  foot  in  the  passage." 

The  last  injunction  was  soon  obeyed.  The  Alderman 
entered  by  one  door  as  the  active  fugitive  retreated  by  an 
other  ;  and  where  the  weary  burgher  expected  to  see  his 
guests,  he  found  an  empty  apartment.  This  last  circum 
stance,  however,  gave  Myndert  Van  Beverout  but  little  sur 
prise  and  no  concern,  as  would  appear  by  the  indifference 
with  which  he  noted  the  circumstance. 

"  Vagaries  and  womanhood  ! "  thought  rather  than  mut 
tered  the  Alderman.  "The  jade  turns  like  a  fox  in  his 
tracks,  and  it  would  be  easier  to  convict  a  merchant  who 
values  his  reputation,  to  a  false  invoice,  than  this  minx  of 
nineteen  of  an  indiscretion !  There  is  so  much  of  old 
Etienne  and  his  Norman  blood  in  her  eye,  that  one  does 
not  like  to  provoke  extremities  ;  but  here,  when  I  expected 
Van  Staats  had  profited  by  his  opportunity,  the  girl  looks 
like  a  nun  at  the  mention  of  his  name.  The  Patroon  is  no 
Cupid,  we  must  allow  :  or,  in  a  week  at  sea,  he  would  have 
won  the  heart  of  a  mermaid  !  Aye — and  here  are  more  per 
plexities  by  the  return  of  the  Skimmer  and  his  brig,  and 
the  notions  that  young  Ludlow  has  of  his  duty.  Life  and 
morality  !  One  must  quit  trade  at  some  time  or  other,  and 
begin  to  close  the  books.  I  must  seriously  think  of  strik 
ing  a  final  balance.  If  the  sum  total  was  a  little  more  in 
my  favor,  it  should  be  done  to-morrow ! " 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

Thou,  Julia,  thou  hast  metamorphosed  me  ; 
Made  me  neglect  my  studies,  lose  my  time, 
War  with  good  counsel,  set  the  world  at  naught. 

^        Gentlemen  of  Verona. 


LUDLOW  quitted  the  Lust  in  Rust  with  a  wavering  pur 
pose.  Throughout  the  whole  of  the  preceding  interview, 
he  had  jealously  watched  the  eye  and  features  of  la  belle 


THE   WATER- IV ITCH.  261 

Barberie  ;  and  he  had  not  failed  to  draw  his  conclusions 
from  a  mien  that  too  plainly  expressed  a  deep  interest  in 
the  freetrader.  For  a  time,  only,  had  he  been  induced,  by 
the  calmness  and  self-possession  with  which  she  received 
her  uncle  and  himself,  to  believe  that  she  had  not  visited 
the  Water-Witch  at  all ;  but  when  the  gay  and  reckless 
being  who  governed  the  movements  of  that  extraordinary 
vessel  appeared,  he  could  no  longer  flatter  himself  with 
this  hope.  He  now  believed  that  her  choice  for  life  had 
been  made  ;  and  while  he  deplored  the  infatuation  which 
could  induce  so  gifted  a  woman  to  forget  her  station  and 
character,  he  was  himself  too  frank  not  to  see  that  the  in 
dividual  who  had  in  so  short  a  time  gained  this  ascendency 
over  the  feelings  of  Alida,  was,  in  many  respects,  fitted  to 
exercise  a  powerful  influence  over  the  imagination  of  a 
youthful  and  secluded  female. 

There  was  a  struggle  in  the  mind  of  the  young  com 
mander,  between  his  duty  and  his  feelings.  Remembering 
the  artifice  by  which  he  had  formerly  fallen  into  the  power 
of  the  smugglers,  he  had  taken  his  precaution  so  well  in 
the  present  visit  to  the  villa,  that  he  firmly  believed  he  had 
the  person  of  his  lawless  rival  at  his  mercy.  To  avail 
himself  of  this  advantage,  or  to  retire  and  leave  him  in 
possession  of  his  mistress  and  his  liberty,  was  the  point 
mooted  in  his  thoughts.  Though  direct  and  simple  in  his 
habits,  like  most  of  the  seamen  of  that  age,  Ludlow  had 
all  the  loftier  sentiments  that  become  a  gentleman.  He 
felt  keenly  for  Alida,  and  he  shrank,  with  sensitive  pride, 
from  incurring  the  imputation  of  having  acted  under  the 
impulse  of  disappointment.  To  these  motives  of  forbear 
ance,  was  also  to  be  added  the  inherent  reluctance  which, 
as  an  officer  of  rank,  he  felt  to  the  degradation  of  being 
employed  in  a  duty  that  more  properly  belongs  to  men  of 
less  elevated  ambition.  He  looked  on  himself  as  a  de 
fender  of  the  rights  and  glory  of  his  sovereign,  and  not  as 
a  mercenary  instrument  of  those  who  collected  her  cus 
toms  ;  and  though  he  would  not  have  hesitated  to  incur 
any  rational  hazard,  in  capturing  the  vessel  of  the  smug 
gler,  or  in  making  captives  of  all  or  any  of  her  crew  on 
their  proper  element,  he  disliked  the  appearance  of  seek 
ing  a  solitary  individual  on  the  land.  In  addition  to  this 
feeling,  there  was  his  own  pledge  that  he  met  the  pro 
scribed  dealer  in  contraband  on  neutral  ground.  Still  the 
officer  of  the  Queen  had  his  orders,  and  he  could  not  shut 


262  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

his  eyes  to  the  general  obligations  of  duty.  The  brigan- 
tine  was  known  to  inflict  so  much  loss  on  the  revenue  of 
the  crown,  more  particularly  in  the  other«hemisphere,  that 
an  especial  order  had  been  issued  by  the  Admiral  of  the 
station  for  her  capture.  Here  then  was  an  opportunity  of 
depriving  the  vessel  of  that  master  spirit  which,  notwith 
standing  the  excellence  of  its  construction,  had  alone  so 
long  enabled  it  to  run  the  gauntlet  of  a  hundred  cruisers 
wifch  impunity.  Agitated  by  these  contending  feelings 
and  reflections,  the  young  sailor  left  the  door  of  the  villa, 
and  came  upon  its  little  lawn,  in  order  to  reflect  with  less 
interruption,  and,  indeed,  to  breathe  more  freely. 

The  night  had  advanced  into  the  first  watch  of  the  sea 
man.  The  shadow  of  the  mountain,  howrever,  still  covered 
the  grounds  of  the  villa,  the  river,  and  the  shores  of  the 
Atlantic,  with  a  darkness  that  was  deeper  than  the  obscurity 
which  dimmed  the  surface  of  the  rolling  ocean  beyond. 
Objects  were  so  indistinct  as  to  require  close  and  steady 
looks  to  ascertain  their  character,  while  the  setting  of  the 
scene  might  be  faintly  traced  by  its  hazy  and  indistinct 
outlines.  The  curtains  of  la  Cour  des  Fees  had  been 
drawn,  and,  though  the  lights  were  shining  within,  the  eye 
could  not  penetrate  the  pavilion.  Ludlow  gazed  about 
him,  and  held  his  way  reluctantly  toward  the  water. 

In  endeavoring  to  conceal  the  interior  of  her  apartment 
from  the  eyes  of  those  without,  Alida  had  suffered  a  cor 
ner  of  the  drapery  to  remain  open.  When  Ludlow  reached 
the  gate  that  led  to  the  landing,  he  turned  to  take  a  last 
look  at  the  villa  ;  and,  favored  by  his  new  position,  he 
caught  a  glimpse,  through  the  opening,  of  the  person  of 
her  who  was  still  uppermost  in  his  thoughts. 

La  belle  Barberie  was  seated  at  the  little  table  by  whose 
side  she  had  been  found  earlier  in  the  evening.  An  elbow 
rested  on  the  precious  wood,  and  one  fair  hand  supported 
a  brow  that  was  thoughtful  beyond  the  usual  character  of 
its  expression,  if  not  melancholy.  The  commander  of  the 
Coquette  felt  the  blood  rushing  to  his  heart,  for  he  fancied 
that  the  beautiful  and  pensive  countenance  was  that  of  a 
penitent.  It  is  probable  that  the  idea  quickened  his 
drooping  hopes  ;  for  Ludlow  believed  it  might  not  yet  be 
too  late  to  rescue  the  woman  he  so  sincerely  loved,  from 
the  precipice  over  which  she  was  suspended.  The  seem 
ingly  irretrievable  step  already  taken  was  forgotten  ;  and 
the  generous  young  sailor  was  about  to  rush  back  to  la 


THE   WATER- IV ITCH.  263 

Cour  des  Fees,  to  implore  its  mistress  to  be  just  to  herself, 
when  the  hand  fell  from  her  polished  brow,  and  Alida 
raised  her  face,  with  a  look  which  denoted  that  she  was 
no  longer  alone.  The  Captain  drew  back  to  watch  the  issue. 

When  Alida  lifted  her  eyes,  it  was  in  kindness  and  with 
that  frank  ingenuousness  with  which  an  unperverted 
female  greets  the  countenance  of  those  who  have  her  con 
fidence.  She  smiled,  though  still  in  sadness  rather  than 
in  pleasure  ;  and  she  spoke,  but  the  distance  prevented 
her  words  from  being  audible.  At  the  next  instant  Sea- 
drift  moved  into  the  space  visible  through  the  half-drawn 
drapery,  and  took  her  hand.  Alida  made  no  effort  to 
withdraw  ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  she  looked  up  into  his 
face  with  still  less  equivocal  interest,  and  appeared  to 
listen  to  his  voice  with  an  absorbed  attention.  The  gate 
swung  violently  open,  and  Ludlow  had  reached  the  margin 
of  the  river  before. he  again  paused. 

The  barge  of  the  Coquette  was  found  where  her  com 
mander  had  ordered  his  people  to  lie  concealed,  and  he 
was  about  to  enter  it,  when  the  noise  of  the  little  gate, 
again  shutting  with  the  wind,  induced  him  to  cast  a  look 
behind.  A  human  form  was  distinctly  to  be  seen,  against 
the  light  walls  of  the  villa,  descending  toward  the  river. 
The  men  were  commanded  to  keep  close  and,  withdrawing 
within  the  shadow  of  a  fence,  the  Captain  waited  the  ap 
proach  of  the  new-comer. 

As  the  unknown  person  passed,  Ludlow  recognized  the 
agile  form  of  the  freetrader.  The  latter  advanced  to  the 
margin  of  the  river,  and  gazed  warily  about  him  for  several 
minutes.  A  low  but  distinct  note,  on  a  common  ship's- 
call,  was  then  heard.  The  summons  was  soon  succeeded 
by  the  appearance  of  a  small  skiff,  which  glided  out  of  the 
grass  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  stream,  and  approached 
the  spot  where  Seadrift  awaited  its  arrival.  The  freetrader 
sprang  lightly  into  the  little  boat,  which  immediately  be 
gan  to  glide  out  of  the  river.  As  the  skiff  passed  the  spot 
where  he  stood,  Ludlow  saw  that  it  was  pulled  by  a  single 
seaman  ;  and,  as  his  own  boat  was  manned  by  six  lusty 
rowers,  he  felt  that  the  person  of  the  man  whom  he  so 
much  envied  was  at  length  fairly  and  honorably  in  his 
power.  We  shall  not  attempt  to  analyze  the  emotion  that 
was  ascendant  in  the  mind  of  the  young  officer.  It  is 
enough  for  our  purpose  to  add  that  he  was  soon  in  his 
boat  and  in  full  pursuit 


264  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

As  the  course  to  be  taken  by  the  barge  was  diagonal 
rather  than  direct,  a  few  powerful  strokes  of  the  oars 
brought  it  so  near  the  skiff,  that  Ludlow,  by  placing  his 
hand  on  the  gunwale  of  the  latter,  could  arrest  its  prog 
ress. 

"  Though  so  lightly  equipped,  fortune  favors  you  less  in 
boats  than  in  larger  craft,  Master  Seadrift,"  said  Ludlow, 
when,  by  virtue  of  a  strong  arm,  he  had  drawn  his  prize  so 
near  as  to  find  himself  seated  within  a  few  feet  of  his  pris 
oner.  "  We  meet  on  our  proper  element,  where  there  can 
be  no  neutrality  between  one  of  the  contraband  and  a  ser 
vant  of  the  Queen." 

The  start,  the  half-repressed  exclamation  and  the  mo 
mentary  silence  showed  that  the  captive  had  been  taken 
completely  by  surprise. 

"  I  admit  your  superior  dexterity,"  he  at  length  said, 
speaking  low  and  not  without  agitation.  "  I  am  your  pris 
oner,  Captain  Ludlow  ;  and  I  would  now  wish  to  know 
your  intentions  in  disposing  of  my  person  ? " 

"  That  is  soon  answered.  You  must  be  content  to  take 
the  homely  accommodations  of  the  Coquette  for  the  night, 
instead  of  the  more  luxurious  cabin  of  your  Water-Witch. 
What  the  authorities  of  the  Province  may  decide  to-mor 
row,  it  exceeds  the  knowledge  of  a  poor  commander  in  the 
navy  to  say." 

"  The  Lord  Cornbury  has  retired  to " 

"A  jail,"  said  Ludlow,  observing  that  the  other  spoke 
more  like  one  who  mused  than  like  one  who  asked  a  ques 
tion.  "  The  kinsman  of  our  gracious  Queen  speculates  on  the 
chances  of  human  fortune  within  the  walls  of  a  prison. 
His  successor,  the  Brigadier  Hunter,  is  thought  to  have 
less  sympathy  for  the  moral  infirmities  of  human  nature  ! " 

"We  deal  lightly  with  dignities,"  exclaimed  the  cap 
tive  with  his  former  gayety  of  tone  and  manner.  "  You 
have  your  revenge  for  some  personal  liberties  that  were 
certainly  taken  not  a  fortnight  since,  with  this  boat  arid 
her  crew  ;  still,  I  much  mistake  your  character  if  unneces 
sary  severity  forms  one  of  its  features.  May  I  communi 
cate  with  the  brigantine  ?  " 

"  Freely — when  she  is  once  in  the  care  of  a  Queen's 
officer." 

"  Oh,  sir,  you  disparage  the  qualities  of  my  mistress,  in 
supposing  there  exists  a  parallel  with  your  own  !  The 
Water-Witch  will  go  at  large  till  a  far  different  personage 


THE   WATER-WITCIf.  265 

shall  become  your  captive.     May  I  communicate  with  the 
shore  ? " 

"  To  that  there  exists  no  objection — if  you  will  point 
out  the  means." 

"  I  have  one  here  who  will  prove  a  faithful  messen 
ger." 

"  Too  faithful  to  the  delusion  which  governs  all  your  fol 
lowers.  Your  man  must  be  your  companion  in  the  Co 
quette,  Master  Seadrift,  though,"  and  Ludlow  spoke  in 
melancholy,  "  if  there  be  any  on  the  land  who  take  so  near 
an  interest  in  your  welfare  as  to  find  more  sorrow  in  uncer 
tainty  than  in  the  truth,  one  of  my  own  crew,  in  any  of 
whom  confidence  may  be  placed,  shall  do  your  errand." 

"  Let  it  be  so,"  returned  the  freetrader,  as  if  satisfied 
that  he  could,  in  reason,  expect  no  more.  "Take  this  ring  to 
the  lady  of  yonder  dwelling,"  he  continued,  when  Ludlow 
had  selected  the  messenger,  "  and  say  that  he  who  sends 
it  is  about  to  visit  the  cruiser  of  Queen  Anne  in  company 
with  her  commander.  Should  there  be  any  question  of 
the  motive,  you  can  speak  to  the  manner  of  my  arrest." 

"And,  mark  me,  fellow!"  added  his  captain;  "  that 
duty  done,  look  to  the  idlers  on  the  shore,  and  see  that 
no  boat  quits  the  river  to  apprise  the  smugglers  of  their 
loss." 

The  man,  who  was  armed  in  the  fashion  of  a  seaman  on 
boat  duty,  received  these  orders  with  the  customary  defer 
ence  ;  and  the  barge  having  drawn  to  the  shore  for  that 
purpose,  he  landed. 

"And  now,  Master  Seadrift,  having  thus  far  complied 
with  your  wishes,  I  may  expect  you  will  not  be  deaf  to 
mine.  Here  is  a  seat  at  your  service  in  my  barge,  and  I 
confess  it  will  please  me  to  see  it  occupied." 

As  the  Captain  spoke,  he  reached  forth  an  arm,  partly, 
in  natural  complaisance,  and  partly  with  a  carelessness 
that  denoted  some  consciousness  of  the  difference  in  their 
rank,  both  to  aid  the  other  to  comply  with  his  request, 
and,  at  need,  to  enforce  it.  But  the  freetrader  seemed  to 
repel  the  familiarity  ;  for  he  drew  back,  at  first,  like  one 
who  shrank  sensitively  from  the  contact,  and  then,  without 
touching  the  arm  that  was  extended  with  a  purpose  so 
equivocal,  he  passed  lightly  from  the  skiff  into  the  barge, 
declining  assistance.  The  movement  was  scarcely  made, 
before  Ludlow  quitted  the  latter,  and  occupied  the  place 
which  Seadrift  had  just  vacated.  He  commanded  one  of 


266  THE  WATER-WITCH. 

his  men  to  exchange  with  the  seaman  of  the  brigantine  ; 
and,  having  made  these  preparations,  he  again  addressed 
his  prisoner. 

"  I  commit  you  to  the  care  of  my  coxswain  arid  these 
worthy  tars,  Master  Seadrift  We  shall  steer  different 
ways.  You  will  take  possession  of  my  cabin,  where  all 
will  be  at  your  disposal ;  ere  the  middle  watch  is  called,  I 
shall  be  there  to  prevent  the  pennant  from  coming  down, 
and  your  sea-green  flag  turning  the  people's  heads  from 
their  allegiance." 

Ludlow  then  whispered  his  orders  to  his  coxswain,  and 
they  separated.  The  barge  proceeded  to  the  mouth  of 
the  river,  with  the  long  and  stately  sweep  of  the  oars  that 
marks  the  progress  of  a  man-of-war's  boat ;  while  the  skiff 
followed  noiselessly,  and,  aided  by  its  color  and  dimen 
sions,  nearly  invisible. 

When  the  two  boats  entered  the  waters  of  the  bay,  the 
barge  held  on  its  course  toward  the  distant  ship  ;  while 
the  skiff  inclined  to  the  right,  and  steered  directly  for  the 
bottom  of  the  Cove.  The  precaution  of  the  dealer  in  con 
traband  had  provided  his  little  boat  with  muffled  sculls  ; 
and  Ludlow,  when  he  was  enabled  to  discover  the  fine 
tracery  of  the  lofty  and  light  spars  of  the  Water-Witch,  as 
they  rose  above  the  tops  of  the  dwarf  trees  that  lined  the 
shore,  had  no  reason  to  think  his  approach  was  known. 
Once  assured  of  the  presence  and  position  of  the  brigan 
tine,  he  was  enabled  to  make  his  advances  with  all  the  cau 
tion  that  might  be  necessary. 

Some  ten  or  fifteen  minutes  were  required  to  bring  the 
skiff  beneath  the  bowsprit  of  the  beautiful  craft,  without 
giving  the  alarm  to  those  who  doubtless  were  watching  on 
her  decks.  The  success  of  our  adventurer,  however,  ap 
peared  to  be  complete  ;  for  he  was  soon  holding  by  the 
cable,  and  not  the  smallest  sound  of  any  kind  had  been 
heard  in  the  brigantine.  Ludlow  now  regretted  he  had 
not  entered  the  Cove  with  his  barge  ;  for,  so  profound 
and  unsuspecting  was  the  quiet  of  the  vessel,  that  he 
doubted  not  his  ability  to  have  carried  her  by  a  coup-de- 
main.  Vexed  by  his  oversight,  and  incited  by  the  pros 
pects  of  success,  he  began  to  devise  those  expedients 
which  would  naturally  suggest  themselves  to  a  seaman  in 
his  situation. 

The  wind  was  southerly,  and,  though  not  strong,  it  was 
charged  with  the  dampness  and  heaviness  of  the  night  air. 


THE   WATER- WITCH.  267 

As  the  brigantine  lay  protected  from  the  influence  of  the 
tides,  she  obeyed  the  currents  of  the  other  element  ;  and, 
while  her  bows  looked  outward,  her  stern  pointed  toward 
the  bottom  of  the  basin.  The  distance  from  the  land  was 
not  fifty  fathoms,  and  Ludlow  did  not  fail  to  perceive  that 
the  vessel  rode  by  a  kedge,  and  that  her  anchors,  of  which 
there  was  a  good  provision,  were  all  snugly  stowed. 
These  facts  induced  the  hope  that  he  might  separate  the 
hawser  that  alone  held  the  brigantine,  which  in  the  event 
of  his  succeeding,  he  had  every  reason  to  believe  would 
drift  ashore,  before  the  alarm  could  be  given  to  her  crew, 
sail  set,  or  an  anchor  let  go.  Although  neither  he  nor  his 
companion  possessed  any  other  implement  to  effect  this 
object  than  the  large  seaman's  knife  of  the  latter,  the 
temptation  was  too  great  not  to  make  the  trial.  The  pro 
ject  was  flattering  ;  for,  though  the  vessel  in  that  situation 
would  receive  no  serious  injury,  the  unavoidable  delay  of 
heaving  off  the  sands  wrould  enable  his  boats,  and  perhaps 
the  ship  herself,  to  reach  the  place  in  time  to  secure  their 
prize.  The  bargeman  was  asked  for  his  knife,  and  Ludlow 
himself  made  the  first  cut  upon  the  solid  and  difficult  mass. 
The  steel  had  no  sooner  touched  the  compact  yarns,  than 
a  dazzling  glare  of  light  shot  into  the  face  of  him  who  held 
it.  Recovering  from  the  shock  and  rubbing  his  eyes,  our 
startled  adventurer  gazed  upward  with  that  consciousness 
of  wrong  which  assails  us  when  detected  in  any  covert  act, 
however  laudable  may  be  its  motive  ;  a  sort  of  homage  that 
nature,  under  every  circumstance,  pays  to  loyal  dealings. 

Though  Ludlow  felt,  at  the  instant  of  this  interruption, 
that  he  stood  in  jeopardy  of  his  life,  the  concern  it  awak 
ened  was  momentarily  lost  in  the  spectacle  before  him. 
The  bronzed  and  unearthly  features  of  the  image  were 
brightly  illuminated  ;  and,  while  her  eyes  looked  on  him 
steadily,  as  if  watching  his  smallest  movement,  her  malign 
and  speaking  smile  appeared  to  turn  his  futile  effort  into 
scorn  !  There  was  no  need  to  bid  the  seaman  at  the  oars 
do  his  duty.  No  sooner  did  he  catch  the  expression  of 
that  mysterious  face,  than  the  skiff  whirled  away  from  the 
spot,  like  a  sea-fowl  taking  wing  under  alarm.  Though 
Ludlow  at  each  moment  expected  a  shot,  even  the  immi 
nence  of  the  danger  did  not  prevent  him  from  gazing,  in 
absorbed  attention,  at  the  image.  The  light  by  which  it 
was  illumined,  though  condensed,  powerful,  and  steadily 
cast,  wavered  a  little,  and  exhibited  her  attire. 


268  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

Then  the  Captain  saw  the  truth  of  what  Seadrift  had 
asserted  ;  for  by  some  process  of  the  machine  into  which 
he  had  not  the  leisure  to  inquire,  the  sea-green  mantle  had 
been  changed  for  a  slighter  robe  of  the  azure  of  the  deep 
waters.  As  if  satisfied  with  having  betrayed  the  intention 
of  the  sorceress  to  depart,  the  light  immediately  vanished. 

"This  mummery  is  well  maintained  !"  muttered  Ludlow, 
when  the  skiff  had  reached  a  distance  that  assured  him  of 
safety.  "  Here  is  a  symptom  that  the  Rover  means  soon 
to  quit  the  coast.  The  change  of  dress  is  some  signal  to 
his  superstitious  and  deluded  crew.  It  is  my  task  to  dis 
appoint  his  mistress,  as  he  terms  her,  though  it  must  be 
confessed  that  she  does  not  sleep  at  her  post." 

During  the  ten  succeeding  minutes  our  foiled  adventurer 
had  leisure,  no  less  than  motive,  to  feel  how  necessary  is 
success  to  any  project  whose  means  admit  of  dispute. 
Had  the  hawser  been  cut  and  the  brigantine  stranded,  it  is 
probable  that  the  undertaking  of  the  Captain  would  have 
been  accounted  among  those  happy  expedients  which,  in  all 
pursuits,  are  thought  to  distinguish  the  mental  efforts  of 
men  particularly  gifted  by  nature  ;  while,  under  the  actual 
circumstances,  he  who  would  have  reaped  all  the  credit  of 
so  felicitous  an  idea,  was  mentally  chafing  with  the  appre 
hension  that  his  unlucky  design  might  become  known. 
His  companion  was  no  other  than  Robert  Yarn,  the  fore- 
top-man,  who,  on  a  former  occasion,  had  been  heard  to 
affirm  that  he  had  already  enjoyed  so  singular  a  view  of  the 
lady  of  the  brigantine,  while  assisting  to  furl  the  fore- 
topsail  of  the  Coquette. 

"  This  has  been  a  false  board,  Master  Yarn,"  observed 
the  Captain,  when  the  skiff  was  past  the  entrance  of  the 
Cove,  and  some  distance  down  the  bay  ;  "  for  the  credit  of 
our  cruise,  we  will  not  enter  the  occurrence  in  the  log. 
You  understand  me,  sir  ;  I  trust  a  word  is  sufficient  for  so 
shrewd  a  wit  ?  " 

"  I  hope  I  know  my  duty,  your  honor,  which  is  to  obey 
orders,  though  it  may  break  owners,"  returned  the  topman. 
"  Cutting  a  hawser  with  a  knife  is  but  slow  work  in  the 
best  of  times :  but  though  one  who  has  little  right  to  speak 
in  the  presence  of  a  gentleman  so  well  taught,  it  is  my 
opinion  that  the  steel  is  not  yet  sharpened  which  is  to  part 
any  rope  aboard  yon  rover,  without  the  consent  of  the 
black-looking  woman  under  her  bowsprit." 

"And  what  is  the  opinion  of  the  berth-deck  concerning 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  269 

this  strange  brigantine  that  we  have  so  long  been  following 
without  success  ?" 

"  That  we  shall  follow  her  till  the  last  biscuit  is  eaten, 
and  the  scuttle-butt  shall  be  dry,  with  no  better  fortune. 
It  is  not  my  business  to  teach  your  honor,  but  there  is  not 
a  man  in  the  ship  who  ever  expects  to  be  a  farthing  the 
better  for  her  capture.  Men  are  of  many  minds  concern 
ing  the  Skimmer  of  the  Seas  ;  but  all  are  agreed  that  unless 
aided  by  some  uncommon  luck,  which  may  amount  to  the 
same  thing  as  being  helped  by  him  who  seldom  lends  a 
hand  to  any  honest  undertaking,  he  is  altogether  such  a 
seaman  as  another  like  him  does  not  sail  the  ocean  ! " 

"I  am  sorry  that  my  people  should  have  reason  to  think 
so  meanly  of  our  own  skill.  The  ship  has  not  yet  had  a 
fair  chance.  Give  her  an  open  sea,  and  a  capful  of  wind, 
and  she'll  defy  all  the  black  women  that  the  brigantine  can 
stow.  As  to  your  Skimmer  of  the  Seas,  be  he  man  or 
devil,  he  is  our  prisoner." 

"  And  does  your  honor  believe  that  the  trim-built  and 
light-sailing  gentleman  we  overhauled  in  this  skiff  is  in 
truth  that  renowned  rover  ? "  asked  Yarn,  resting  on  his 
sculls  in  the  interest  of  the  moment.  "There  are  some  on 
board  the  ship  who  maintain  that  the  man  in  question  is 
taller  than  the  big  tide-waiter  at  Plymouth,  with  a  pair  of 
shoulders " 

"  I  have  reason  to  know  they  are  mistaken.  If  we  are 
more  enlightened  than  our  shipmates,  Master  Yarn,  let  us 
be  close-mouthed,  that  others  do  not  steal  our  knowledge  — 
hold,  here  is  a  crown  with  the  face  of  King  Louis  ;  he  is 
our  bitterest  enemy,  and  you  may  swallow  him  whole,  if 
you  please,  or  take  him  in  morsels,  as  shall  best  suit  your 
humor.  But  remember  that  our  cruise  in  the  skiff  is 
under  secret  orders,  and  the  less  we  say  about  the  an 
chor-watch  of  the  brigantine  the  better." 

Honest  Bob  took  the  piece  of  silver  writh  a  gusto  that 
no  opinions  of  the  marvellous  could  diminish  ;  and,  touch 
ing  his  hat,  he  did  not  fail  to  make  the  usual  protestations 
of  discretion.  That  night  the  messmates  of  the  fore-top- 
man  endeavored  in  vain  to  extract  from  him  the  particu 
lars  of  his  excursion  with  the  Captain  ;  though  the  direct 
answers  to  their  home  questions  were  only  evaded  by  allu 
sions  so  dark  and  ambiguous  as  to  give  to  that  super 
stitious  feeling  of  the  crew,  which  Ludlow  had  wished  to 
lull,  twice  its  original  force. 


270  THE  WATER-WITCH. 

N  Not  long  after  this  short  dialogue,  the  skiff  reached  the 
side  of  the  Coquette.  Her  commander  found  his  prisoner 
in  possession  of  his  own  cabin,  and,  though  grave  if  not 
sad  in  demeanor,  perfectly  self-possessed.  His  arrival  had 
produced  a  deep  effect  on  the  officers  and  men,  though, 
like  Yarn,  most  of  both  classes  refused  to  believe  that  the 
handsome  and  gayly-attired  youth  they  had  been  sum 
moned  to  receive  was  the  notorious  dealer  in  contra 
band. 

Light  observers  of  the  forms  under  which  human  quali 
ties  are  exhibited  too  often  mistake  their  outward  signs. 
Though  it  is  quite  in  reason  to  believe  that  he  who  mingles 
much  in  rude  and  violent  scenes  should  imbibe  some  of 
their  rough  and  repelling  aspects,  still  it  would  seem  that, 
as  stillest  waters  commonly  conceal  the  deepest  currents, 
so  the  powers  to  awaken  extraordinary  events  are  not  un- 
frequently  cloaked  under  a  chastened  and  sometimes  un 
der  a  cold  exterior.  It  has  often  happened,  that  the  most 
desperate  and  self-willed  men  are  those  whose  mien  and 
manners  would  give  reason  to  expect  the  mildest  and  most 
tractable  dispositions  ;  while  he  who  has  seemed  a  lion 
sometimes  proves,  in  his  real  nature,  to  be  little  better 
than  a  lamb. 

Ludlow  had  reason  to  see  that  the  incredulity  of  his  top- 
man  had  extended  to  most  on  board  ;  and,  as  he  could  not 
conquer  his  tenderness  on  the  subject  of  Alidaand  all  that 
concerned  her,  while  on  the  other  hand  there  existed  no 
motive  for  immediately  declaring  the  truth,  he  rather 
favored  the  general  impression  by  his  silence.  First  giv 
ing  some  orders  of  the^ast  importance  at  that  moment,  he 
passed  into  the  cabin,  and  sought  a  private  interview  with 
his  captive. 

"  That  vacant  state-room  is  at  your  service,  Master  Sea- 
drift,"  he  observed,  pointing  to  the  little  apartment  oppo 
site  to  the  one  he  occupied  himself.  "  We  are  likely  to  be 
shipmates  several  days,  unless  you  choose  to  shorten  the 
time  by  entering  into  a  capitulation  for  the  Water- Witch, 
in  which  case " 

"  You  had  a  proposition  to  make." 

Ludlow  hesitated,  cast  an  eye  behind  him,  to  be  certain 
they  were  alone,  and  drew  nearer  to  his  captive. 

"  Sir,  I  will  deal  with  you  as  becomes  a  seaman.  La 
belle  Barberie  is  dearer  to  me  than  ever  woman  was  be 
fore  ;  dearer,  I  fear,  than  ever  woman  will  be  again.  You 


THE   IVATER-U*ITCH.  271 

^^k*4_T  7*&  Ay- 
need  not  learn  that  circumstances  have  occurred — do  you 

love  the  lady  ?  " 

"I  do." 

"  And  she — fear  not  to  trust  the  secret  to  one  who  will 
not  abuse  the  trust — returns  she  your  affection  ?  " 

The  mariner  of  the  brigantine  drew  back  with  dignity  ; 
then,  instantly  recovering  his  ease,  as  if  fearful  he  might 
forget  himself,  he  said  with  warmth — 

"This  trifling  with  woman's  weakness  is  the  besetting 
sin  of  man  !  None  may  speak  of  her  inclinations,  Captain 
Ludlow,  but  herself.  It  never  shall  be  said  that  any  of 
the  sex  had  aught  but  fitting  reverence  for  their  dependent 
state,  their  constant  and  confiding  love,  their  faithfulness  in 
all  the  world's  trials,  and  their  singleness  of  heart,  from  me." 

"  These  sentiments  do  you  honor  ;  and  I  could  wish,  for 
your  own  sake,  as  well  as  that  of  others,  there  was  less  of 
contrariety  in  your  character.  One  cannot  but  grieve " 

"  You  had  a  proposition  for  the  brigantine  ?  " 

"  I  would  have  said,  that  were  the  vessel  yielded  with 
out  farther  pursuit,  means  might  be  found  to  soften  the 
blow  to  those  who  will  otherwise  be  most  wounded  by  her 
capture." 

The  face  of  the  dealer  in  contraband  had  lost  some  of 
its  usual  brightness  and  animation  ;  the  color  of  the  cheek 
was  not  as  rich,  and  the  eye  was  less  at  ease,  than  in  his 
former  interviews  with  Ludlow.  But  a  smile  of  security 
crossed  his  fine  features  when  the  other  spoke  of  the  fate 
of  the  brigantine. 

"  The  keel  of  the  ship  that  is  to  capture  the  Water- Witch 
is  not  yet  laid,"  he  said  firmly  ;  "  nor  is  the  canvas  that  is 
to  drive  her  through  the  water  wove  !  Our  mistress  is  not 
so  heedless  as  to  sleep  when  there  is  most  occasion  for  her 
services." 

"  This  mummery  of  a  supernatural  aid  may  be  of  use  in 
holding  the  minds  of  the  ignorant  beings  who  follow  your 
fortunes  in  subjection,  but  it  is  lost  when  addressed  to  me. 
I  have  ascertained  the  position  of  the  brigantine — nay,  I 
have  been  under  her  very  bowsprit,  and  so  near  her  cut 
water  as  to  have  examined  her  moorings.  Measures  are 
now  taken  to  improve  my  knowledge,  and  to  secure  the 
prize." 

The  freetrader  heard  him  without  exhibiting  alarm, 
though  he  listened  with  an  attention  that  rendered  his 
breathing  audible. 


272  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

"  You  found  my  people  vigilant  ? "  he  rather  carelessly 
observed,  than  asked. 

"So  much  so,  that  I  have  said  the  skiff  was  pulled  be 
neath  her  martingale  without  a  hail  !  Had  there  been 
means,  it  would  not  have  required  many  moments  to  cut 
the  hawser  by  which  she  rides,  and  to  have  laid  your 
beauteous  vessel  ashore  !  " 

The  gleam  of  Seadrift's  eye  was  like  the  glance  of  an 
eagle.  It  seemed  to  inquire,  and  to  resent,  in  the  same 
instant.  Ludlow  shrank  from  the  piercing  look,  and  red 
dened  to  the  brow — whether  with  his  recollections,  or  not, 
it  is  unnecessary  to  explain. 

"  The  worthy  device  was  thought  of !  nay,  it  was  at 
tempted  !"  exclaimed  the  other,  gathering  confirmation  in 
the  consciousness  of  his  companion.  "  You  did  not — you 
could  not  succeed  !  " 

"  Our  success  will  be  proved  in  the  result." 

"  The  lady  of  the  brigantine  forgot  not  her  charge  !  You 
saw  her  bright  eye — her  dark  and  meaning  face !  Light 
shone  on  that  mysterious  countenance — my  words  are  true, 
Ludlow  ;  thy  tongue  is  silent,  but  that  honest  countenance 
confesses  all ! " 

The  gay  dealer  in  contraband  turned  away,  and  laughed 
in  his  merriest  manner. 

"I  knew  it  would  be  so,"  he  continued  ;  "what  is  the 
absence  of  one  humble  actor  from  her  train !  Trust  me, 
you  will  find  her  coy  as  ever,  and  ill-disposed  to  hold  con 
verse  with  a  cruiser  \vho  speaks  so  rudely  through  his 
cannon.  Ha  !  here  are  auditors  !  " 

An  officer  to  announce  the  near  approach  of  a  boat  en 
tered.  Both  Ludlow  and  his  prisoner  started  at  this  in 
telligence,  and  it  was  not  difficult  to  fancy  both  believed 
that  a  message  from  the  Water-Witch  might  be  expected. 
The  former  hastened  on  deck  ;  while  the  latter,  notwith 
standing  a  self-possession  that  was  so  much  practised, 
could  not  remain  entirely  at  his  ease.  He  passed  into  the 
state-room,  and  it  is  more  than  probable  that  he  availed 
himself  of  the  window  of  its  quarter-gallery  to  reconnoitre 
those  who  were  so  unexpectedly  coming  to  the  ship. 

But  after  the  usual  hail  and  reply,  Ludlow  no  longer 
anticipated  any  proposal  from  the  brigantine.  The  an 
swer  had  been  what  a  seaman  would  call  lubberly  ;  or  it 
wanted  that  Attic  purity  that  men  of  the  profession  rarely 
fail  to  use  on  all  occasions,  and  by  the  means  of  which 


THE   WATER- WITCH.  273 

they  can  tell  a  pretender  to  their  mysteries  with  a  quick 
ness  that  is  almost  instinctive.  When  the  short,  quick 
"  Boat-ahoy  !  "  of  the  sentinel  on  the  gang-way  was  an 
swered  by  the  "What  do  you  want?"  of  a  startled  re 
spondent  in  the  boat,  it  was  received  among  the  crew  of 
the  Coquette  with  such  a  sneer  as  the  tyro,  who  has  taken 
two  steps  in  any  particular  branch  of  knowledge,  is  apt  to 
bestow  on  the  blunders  of  him  who  has  taken  but  one. 

A  deep  silence  reigned,  while  a  party  consisting  of  two 
men  and  as  many  females  mounted  the  side  of  the  ship, 
leaving  a  sufficient  number  of  forms  behind  them  in  the 
boat  to  man  its  oars.  Notwithstanding  more  than  one 
light  was  held  in  such  a  manner  as  would  have  discovered 
the  faces  of  the  strangers  had  they  not  all  been  closely 
muffled,  the  party  passed  into  the  cabin  without  recogni 
tion. 

"  Master  Cornelius  Ludlow,  one  might  as  well  put  on 
the  Queen's  livery  at  once  as  to  be  steering  in  this  uncer 
tain  manner  between  the  Coquette  and  the  land,  like  a 
protested  note  sent  from  indorser  to  indorser  to  be 
paid,"  commenced  Alderman  Van  Beverout,  uncasing  him 
self  in  the  great  cabin  with  the  coolest  deliberation,  while 
his  niece  sank  into  a  chair  unbidden,  her  two  attendants 
standing  near  in  submissive  silence.  "  Here  is  Alida,  who 
has  insisted  on  paying  so  unseasonable  a  visit,  and,  what 
is  worse  still,  on  dragging  me  in  her  train,  though  I  am 
past  the  day  of  following  a  woman  about  merely  because 
she  happens  to  have  a  pretty  face.  The  hour  is  unsea 
sonable,  and  as  to  the  motive — why,  if  Master  Seadrift  has 
got  a  little  out  of  his  course,  no  great  harm  can  come  of  it, 
while  the  affair  is  in  the  hands  of  so  discreet  and  amiable 
an  officer  as  yourself." 

The  Alderman  became  suddenly  mute  ;  for  the  door  of 
the  state-room  opened,  and  the  individual  he  had  named 
entered  in  person. 

Ludlow  needed  no  other  explanation  than  the  knowl 
edge  of  the  persons  of  his  guests  to  understand  the  mo 
tive  of  their  visit.  Turning  to  Alderman  Van  Beverout, 
he  said,  with  a  bitterness  he  could  not  repress — 

"  My  presence  may  be  intrusive.  Use  the  cabin  as 
freely  as  your  own  house,  and  rest  assured  that  while  it  is 
thus  honored,  it  shall  be  sacred  to  its  present  uses.  My 
duty  calls  me  to  the  deck." 

The  young  man  bowed,  and  hurried  from  the  place.  As 
18 


274 


THE   WATER-WITCH. 


he  passed  Alida,  he  caught  a  gleam  of  her  dark  and  elo 
quent  eye,  and  he  construed  the  glance  into  an  expression 
of  gratitude. 


CHAPTER   XXVI. 

If  it  were  done  when  'tis  done,  then  'twere  well 
It  were  done  quickly. — Macbeth. 

THE  words  of  the  immortal  poet,  with  which,  in  defer 
ence  to  an  ancient  usage  in  the  literature  of  the  language, 
we  have  prefaced  the  incidents  to  be  related  in  this  chap 
ter,  are  in  perfect  conformity  with  that  governing  maxim 
of  a  vessel,  which  is  commonly  embodied  in  its  standing 
orders,  and  which  prescribes  the  necessity  of  exertion  and 
activity  in  the  least  of  its  operations.  A  strongly-manned 
ship,  like  a  strong-armed  man,  is  fond  of  showing  its  phy 
sical  power,  for  it  is  one  of  the  principal  secrets  of  its  effi 
ciency.  In  a  profession  in  which  there  is  an  unceasing 
contest  with  the  wild  and  fickle  winds,  and  in  which 
human  eiforts  are  to  be  manifested  in  the  control  of  a  deli 
cate  and  fearful  machinery  on  an  inconstant  element,  this 
governing  principle  becomes  of  the  last  importance. 
Where  "  delay  may  so  easily  be  death,"  it  soon  gets  to  be 
a  word  that  is  expunged  from  the  language  ;  and  there  is 
perhaps  no  truth  more  necessary  to  be  known  to  all  young 
aspirants  for  naval  success  than  that,  while  nothing  should 
be  attempted  in  a  hurry,  nothing  should  be  done  without 
the  last  degree  of  activity  that  is  compatible  with  preci 
sion. 

The  commander  of  the  Coquette  had  early  been  im 
pressed  with  the  truth  of  the  foregoing  rule,  and  he  had 
not  neglected  its  application  in  the  discipline  of  his  crew. 
When  he  reached  the  deck,  therefore,  after  relinquishing 
the  cabin  to  his  visitors,  he  found  those  preparations 
which  he  had  ordered  to  be  commenced,  when  he  first  re 
turned  to  the  ship,  already  far  advanced  toward  their 
execution.  As  these  movements  are  closely  connected 
with  the  future  events  it  is  our  duty  to  explain,  we  shall 
relate  them  with  some  particularity. 

Ludlow  had  no  sooner  given  his  orders  to  the  officer  in 
charge  of  the  deck,  than  the  call  of  the  boatswain  was 
heard  summoning  all  hands  to  their  duty.  When  the  crew 
was  collected,  tackles  were  hooked  to  the  large  boats 


THE  WATER-WITCH.  275 

stowed  in  the  centre  of  the  ship,  and  the  whole  of  them 
were  lowered  into  the  water.  The  descent  of  those  sus 
pended  on  the  quarters  was  of  course  less  difficult  and 
much  sooner  effected.  So  soon  as  all  the  boats  with  the 
exception  of  one  at  the  stern,  were  out,  the  order  was 
given  to  "  cross  topgallant  yards."  This  duty  had  been 
commenced  while  other  things  had  been  in  the  course  of 
performance,  and  a  minute  had  scarcely  passed  before  the 
upper  masts  were  again  in  possession  of  their  light  sails. 
Then  was  heard  the  usual  summons  of  "  All  hands  up 
anchor,  ahoy  !  "  and  the  rapid  orders  of  young  officers  to 
"man  capstan-bars,"  to  "nipper,"  and  finally  to  "heave 
away."  The  business  of  getting  the  anchor  on  board  a 
cruiser,  and  on  board  a  ship  engaged  in  commerce,  is  of 
very  different  degrees  of  labor,  as  well  as  of  expedition.  In 
the  latter,  a  dozen  men  apply  their  powers  to  a  slow-moving 
and  reluctant  windlass,  while  the  untractable  cable  as  it 
enters  is  broken  into  coils  by  the  painful  efforts  of  a  grum 
bling  cook,  thwarted  perhaps,  as  much  he  is  aided,  by  the 
waywardness  of  some  wilful  urchin  who  does  the  service 
of  the  cabin.  On  the  other  hand,  the  upright  and  con 
stantly  moving  capstan  knows  no  delay.  The  revolving 
"  messenger  "  is  ever  ready  to  be  applied,  and  skilful  petty 
officers  are  always  in  the  tiers,  to  dispose  of  the  massive 
rope  that  it  may  not  encumber  the  decks. 

Ludlow  appeared  among  his  people  while  they  were  thus 
employed.  Ere  he  had  made  one  hasty  turn  on  the 
quarter-deck,  he  was  met  by  the  busy  first  lieutenant. 

"We  are  short,  sir,"  said  that  agent  of  all  work. 

"  Set  your  topsails." 

The  canvas  was  instantly  permitted  to  fall,  and  it  was  no 
sooner  stretched  to  the  yards  than  force  was  applied  to  the 
halyards  and  the  sails  were  hoisted. 

"Which  way,  sir,  do  you  wish  the  ship  cast  ?"  demanded 
the  attentive  Luff. 

"  To  seaward." 

The  headyards  were  accordingly  braced  aback  in  the 
proper  direction,  and  it  was  then  reported  to  the  Captain 
that  all  was  ready  to  get  the  ship  under  way. 

"  Trip  the  anchor  at  once,  sir  ;  when  it  is  stowed  and  the 
decks  cleared,  report  to  me." 

This  sententious  and  characteristic  communication  was 
sufficient  for  all  the  purposes  of  that  moment.  The  one 
was  accustomed  to  issue  his  orders  without  explanation, 


276  THE  WATER-WITCH. 

and  the  other  never  hesitated  to  obey,  and  rarely  presumed 
to  inquire  into  their  motive. 

"  We  are  aweigh  and  stowed,  sir  ;  everything  clear,"  said 
Mr,  Luff,  after  a  few  minutes  had  been  allowed  to  execute 
the  preceding  commands. 

Ludlow  then  seemed  to  arouse  himself  from  a  deep  rev 
erie.  He  had  hitherto  spoken  mechanically,  rather  than  as 
one  conscious  of  what  he  had  uttered,  or  whose  feelings 
had  any  connection  with  his  words.  But  it  was  now  neces 
sary  to  mingle  with  his  officers,  and  to  issue  mandates  that, 
as  they  were  less  in  routine,  required  both  thought  and 
discretion.  The  crews  of  the  different  boats  were  "  called 
away,"  and  arms  were  placed  in  their  hands.  When  nearly 
or  quite  one-half  of  the  ship's  company  were  all  reported 
to  be  ready,  officers  were  assigned  to  each,  and  the  particu 
lar  service  expected  at  their  hands  was  distinctly  explained. 

A  master's  mate  in  the  Captain's  barge,  \vith  the  crew 
strengthened  by  half  a  dozen  marines,  was  ordered  to  pull 
directly  for  the  Cove,  into  which  he  was  to  enter  with  muf 
fled  oars,  and  where  he  was  to  await  a  signal  from  the  first 
lieutenant,  unless  he  met  the  brigantine  endeavoring  to 
escape,  in  which  case  his  orders  were  imperative  to  board 
and  carry  her  at  every  hazard.  The  high-spirited  youth  no 
sooner  received  his  charge  than  he  quitted  the  ship  and 
steered  to  the  southward,  keeping  inside  the  tongue  of  land 
so  often  named. 

Luff  was  then  told  to  take  command  of  the  launch.  With 
this  heavy  and  strongly-manned  boat  he  was  ordered  to 
proceed  to  the  inlet,  where  he  was  to  give  the  signal  to  the 
barge,  and  whence  he  was  to  go  to  the  assistance  of  the 
latter  so  soon  as  he  was  assured  the  Water-Witch  could  not 
again  escape  by  the  secret  passage. 

The  two  cutters  were  intrusted  to  the  command  of  the 
second  lieutenant,  with  orders  to  pull  into  the  broad  pas 
sage  between  the  end  of  the  cape,  or  the  "  Hook,"  and 
that  long,  narrow  island  which  stretches  from  the  harbor  of 
New  York  for  more  than  forty  leagues  to  the  eastward, 
sheltering  the  whole  coast  of  Connecticut  from  the  tem 
pests  of  the  ocean.  Ludlow  knew,  though  ships  of  a  heavy 
draught  were  obliged  to  pass  close  to  the  cape,  in  order  to 
gain  the  open  sea,  that  a  light  brigantine,  like  the  Water- 
Witch,  could  find  a  sufficient  depth  of  water  for  her  pur 
poses  farther  north.  The  cutters  were,  therefore,  sent  in 
that  direction,  with  orders  to  cover  as  much  of  the  channel 


THE   WATER- WITCH.  277 

as  possible,  and  to  carry  the  smuggler,  should  an  occasion 
offer.  Finally,  the  yawl  was  to  occupy  the  space  between 
the  two  channels,  with  orders  to  repeat  signals,  and  to  be 
vigilant  in  reconnoitering. 

While  the  different  officers  intrusted  with  these  duties 
were  receiving  their  instructions,  the  ship,  under  the  charge 
of  Trysail,  began  to  move  toward  the  cape.  When  off  the 
point  of  the  Hook,  the  two  cutters  and  the  yawl  "  cast  off," 
and  took  to  their  oars,  and  when  fairly  without  the  buoys, 
the  launch  did  the  same,  each  boat  taking  its  prescribed  di 
rection. 

If  the  reader  retains  a  distinct  recollection  of  the  scene 
described  in  one  of  the  earlier  pages  of  this  work,  he  will 
understand  the  grounds  on  which  Ludlow  based  his  hopes 
of  success.  By  sending  the  launch  into  the  inlet,  he  be 
lieved  he  should  inclose  the  brigantine  on  every  side  ; 
since  her  escape  through  either  of  the  ordinary  channels 
would  become  impossible,  while  he  kept  the  Coquette  in 
the  offing.  The  service  he  expected  from  the  three  boats 
sent  to  the  northward  was  to  trace  the  movement  of  the 
smuggler,  and,  should  a  suitable  opportunity  offer,  to  at 
tempt  to  carry  him  by  surprise. 

When  the  launch  parted  from  the  ship,  the  Coquette 
came  slowly  up  to  the  wind,  and  with  her  fore-topsail 
thrown  to  the  mast,  she  lay,  waiting  to  allow  her  boats  the 
time  necessary  to  reach  their  several  stations.  The  differ 
ent  expeditions  had  reduced  the  force  of  the  crew  quite 
one-half,  and  as  both  the  lieutenants  were  otherwise  em 
ployed,  there  now  remained  on  board  no  officer  of  a  rank 
between  those  of  the  Captain  and  Trysail.  Some  time 
after  the  vessel  had  been  stationary,  and  the  men  had  been 
ordered  to  keep  close,  or  in  other  words  to  dispose  of  their 
persons  as  they  pleased,  with  a  view  to  permit  them  to  catch 
"  cats'  naps,"  as  some  compensation  for  the  loss  of  their 
regular  sleep,  the  latter  approached  his  superior,  who 
.stood  gazing  over  the  hammock-cloths  in  the  direction  of 
the  Cove,  and  spoke. 

"A  dark  night,  smooth  water  and  fresh  hands  make 
boating  agreeable  duty !"  he  said.  "The  gentlemen  are 
in  fine  heart,  and  full  of  young  men's  hopes  ;  but  he  who 
lays  that  brigantine  aboard,  will,  in  my  poor  judgment, 
have  more  work  to  do  than  merely  getting  up  her  side. 
I  was  in  the  foremost  boat  that  boarded  a  Spaniard  in  the 
Mona,  last  war  ;  and  though  we  went  into  her  with  light 


278  THE  WATER-WITCH. 

heels,  some  of  us  were  brought  out  with  broken  heads.  I 
think  the  fore-topgallant-mast  has  a  better  set,  Captain 
Ludlow,  since  we  gave  the  last  pull  at  the  rigging  ? " 

"  It  stands  well,"  returned  his  half-attentive  commander. 
"Give  it  the  other  drag,  if  you  think  best." 

"Just  as  you  please,  sir  ;  'tis  all  one  to  me.  I  care  not 
if  the  mast  is  hove  all  of  one  side,  like  the  hat  on  the  head 
of  a  country  buck  ;  but  when  a  thing  is  as  it  ought  to  be, 
reason  would  tell  us  to  let  it  alone.  Mr.  Luff  was  of  opin 
ion,  that  by  altering  the  slings  of  the  main-yard,  we  should 
give  a  better  set  to  the  topsail  sheets  ;  but  it  was  little  that 
could  be  done  with  the  stick  aloft,  and  I  am  ready  to  pay 
her  Majesty  the  difference  between  the  wear  of  the  sheets 
as  they  stand  now,  and  as  Mr.  Luff  would  have  them,  out 
of  my  own  pocket,  though  it  is  often  as  empty  as  a  parish 
church  in  which  a  fox-hunting  parson  preaches.  I  was 
present,  once,  when  a  real  tally-ho  was  reading  the  service, 
and  one  of  your  godless  squires  got  in  the  wake  of  a  fox, 
with  his  hounds,  within  hail  of  the  church-windows !  The 
cries  had  some  such  effect  on  my  roarer  as  a  puff  of  wind 
would  have  on  this  ship  ;  that  is  to  say,  he  sprung  his  luff, 
and  though  he  kept  on  muttering  something  I  never  knew 
what,  his  eyes  were  in  the  fields  the  whole  time  the  pack 
was  in  view.  But  this  wasn't  the  worst  of  it  ;  for  when  he 
got  fairly  back  to  his  work  again,  the  wind  had  been  blow 
ing  the  leaves  of  his  book  about,  and  he  plumped  us  into 
the  middle  of  the  marriage  ceremony.  I  am  no  great 
lawyer,  but  there  were  those  who  said  it  was  a  godsend 
that  half  the  young  men  in  the  parish  weren't  married  to 
their  own  grandmothers  ! " 

"I  hope  the  match  was  agreeable  to  the  family,"  said 
Ludlow,  relieving  one  elbow  by  resting  the  weight  of  his 
head  on  the  other. 

"  Why,  as  to  that,  I  will  not  take  upon  me  to  say,  since  the 
clerk  corrected  the  parson's  reckoning  before  the  mischief 
was  entirely  done.  There  has  been  a  little  dispute  between 
me  and  the  first  lieutenant,  Captain  Ludlow,  concerning 
the  trim  of  the  ship.  He  maintains  that  we  have  got  too 
much  in  forward  of  what  he  calls  the  centre  of  gravity  ; 
and  he  is  of  opinion  that  had  we  been  less  by  the  head,  the 
smuggler  would  never  have  had  the  heels  of  us  in  the  chase  ; 
whereas  I  invite  any  man  to  lay  a  craft  on  her  water-line " 

"  Show  our  light !  "  interrupted  Ludlow.  "  Yonder  goes 
the  signal  of  the  launch  ! " 


THE   WATER- WITCH.  279 

Trysail  ceased  speaking,  and  stepping  on  a  gun,  he  be 
gan  to  gaze  in  the  direction  of  the  Cove.  A  lantern,  or 
some  other  bright  object,  was  leisurely  raised  three  times, 
and  as  often  hid  from  view.  The  signal  came  from  under 
the  land,  and  in  a  quarter  that  left  no  doubt  of  its  object 

"  So  far,  well,"  cried  the  Captain,  quitting  his  stand,  and 
turning,  for  the  first  time,  with  consciousness  to  his  officer.* 
"  'Tis  a  sign  that  they  are  at  the  inlet,  and  that  the  offing 
is  clear.  I  think,  Master  Trysail,  we  are  now  sure  of  our 
prize.  Sweep  the  horizon  thoroughly  with  the  night-glass, 
and  then  we  will  close  upon  this  boasted  brigantine." 

Both  took  glasses,  and  devoted  several  minutes  to  this 
duty.  A  careful  examination  of  the  margin  of  the  sea, 
from  the  coast  of  New  Jersey  to  that  of  Long  Island,  gave 
them  reason  to  believe  that  nothing  of  any  size  was  lying 
without  the  cape.  The  sky  was  more  free  from  clouds  to 
the  eastward  than  under  the  land,  and  it  was  not  difficult 
to  make  certain  of  this  important  fact.  It  gave  them  the 
assurance  that  the  Water- Witch  had  not  escaped  by  the 
secret  passage,  during  the  time  lost  in  their  own  prepara 
tions. 

"  This  is  still  well,"  continued  Ludlow.  "  Now  he  can 
not  avoid  us — show  the  triangle." 

Three  lights,  disposed  in  the  form  just  named,  were  then 
hoisted  at  the  gaff-end  of  the  Coquette.  It  was  an  order 
for  the  boats  in  the  Cove  to  proceed.  The  signal  was 
quickly  answered  from  the  launch,  and  a  small  rocket  was 
seen  sailing  over  the  trees  and  shrubbery  of  the  shore.  All 
on  board  the  Coquette  listened  intently,  to  catch  some 
sound  that  should  denote  the  tumult  of  an  assault.  Once 
Ludlow  and  Trysail  thought  the  cheers  of  seamen  came  on 
the  thick  air  of  the  night  ;  and  once,  again,  either  fancy  or 
their  senses  told  them  they  heard  the  menacing  hail  which 
commanded  the  outlaws  to  submit.  Many  minutes  of  in 
tense  anxiety  succeeded.  The  whole  of  the  hammock- 
cloths  on  the  side  of  the  ship  nearest  to  the  land  were  lined 
with  curious  faces,  though  respect  left  Ludlow  to  the  sole 
occupation  of  the  short  and  light  deck  which  covered  the 
accommodations  ;  whither  he  had  ascended  to  command  a 
more  perfect  view  of  the  horizon. 

"  Tis  time  to  hear  their  musketry,  or  to  see  the  signal  of 
success  !  "  said  the  young  man  to  himself,  so  intently  oc 
cupied  by  his  interest  as  to  be  unconscious  of  having 
spoken. 


280  THE   WATER- WITCH. 

"  Have  you  forgotten  to  provide  a  signal  for  failure  ?  " 
said  one  at  his  elbow. 

"  Ha  !  Master  Seadrift — I  would  have  spared  you  this 
spectacle." 

"  Tis  one  too  often  witnessed  to  be  singular.  A  life 
passed  on  the  ocean  has  not  left  me  ignorant  of  the  effect 
of  night,  with  view  seaward,  a  dark  coast,  and  a  background 
of  mountain  !  " 

"  You  have  confidence  in  him  left  in  charge  of  your 
brigantine  !  I  shall  have  faith  in  your  sea-green  lady  my 
self,  if  he  escape  my  boats  this  time." 

"  See  !  there  is  a  token  of  her  fortune,"  returned  the 
other,  pointing  toward  three  lanterns  that  were  shown  at 
the  inlet's  mouth,  and  over  which  many  lights  were  burned 
in  rapid  succession. 

"  Tis  of  failure  !  Let  the  ship  fall-off,  and  square  away 
the  yards  !  Round  in,  men,  round  in.  We  will  run  down 
to  the  entrance  of  the  bay,  Mr.  Trysail.  The  knaves  have 
been  aided  by  their  lucky  star  !  " 

Ludlow  spoke  with  deep  vexation  in  his  tones,  but 
always  with  the  authority  of  a  superior  and  the  prompti 
tude  of  a  seaman.  The  motionless  being,  near  him,  main 
tained  a  profound  silence.  No  exclamation  of  triumph 
escaped  him,  nor  did  he  open  his  lips  either  in  pleasure  or 
in  surprise.  It  appeared  as  if  confidence  in  his  vessel  ren 
dered  him  as  much  superior  to  exultation  as  to  apprehen 
sion. 

"  You  look  upon  this  exploit  of  your  brigantine,  Master 
Seadrift,  as  a  thing  of  course,"  Ludlow  observed,  when 
his  own  ship  was  steering  toward  the  extremity  of  the 
cape  again.  "  Fortune  has  not  deserted  you  yet ;  but  with 
the  land  on  three  sides,  and  this  ship  and  her  boats  on  the 
fourth,  I  do  not  despair  yet  of  prevailing  over  your  bronzed 
goddess  !  " 

"  Our  mistress  never  sleeps,"  returned  the  dealer  in  con 
traband,  drawing  a  long  breath,  like  one  who  had  strug 
gled  long  to  repress  his  interest. 

"  Terms  are  still  in  your  power.  I  shall  not  conceal 
that  the  commissioners  of  her  Majesty's  customs  set  so 
high  a  price  on  the  possession  of  the  Water-Witch  as  to 
embolden  me  to  assume  a  responsibility  from  which  I  might 
on  any  other  occasion  shrink.  Deliver  the  vessel,  and  I 
pledge  you  the  honor  of  an  officer  that  the  crew  shall  land 
without  question.  Leave  her  to  us,  with  empty  decks  and 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  281 

a  swept  hold,  if  you  will — but  leave  the  swift  boat  in  our 
hands." 

"  The  lady  of  the  brigantine  thinks  otherwise.  She 
wears  her  mantle  of  the  deep  waters,  and,  trust  me,  spite 
of  all  your  nets,  she  will  lead  her  followers  beyond  the 
offices  of  the  lead,  and  far  from  soundings  ;  aye,  spite  of 
all  the  navy  of  Queen  Anne  !  " 

"  I  hope  that  others  may  not  repent  this  obstinacy  !  But 
this  is  no  time  to  bandy  words  ;  the  duty  of  the  ship  re 
quires  my  presence." 

Seadrift  took  the  hint,  and  reluctantly  retired  to  the 
cabin.  As  he  left  the  poop,  the  moon  rose  above  the  line 
of  water  in  the  eastern  board,  and  shed  its  light  along  the 
whole  horizon.  The  crew  of  the  Coquette  were  now  en 
abled  to  see,  with  sufficient  distinctness,  from  the  sands  of 
the  Hook  to  the  distance  of  many  leagues  to  seaward. 
There  no  longer  remained  a  doubt  that  the  brigantine  was 
still  within  the  bay.  Encouraged  by  this  certainty,  Lud- 
low  endeavored  to  forget  all  motives  of  personal  feeling, 
in  the  discharge  of  a  duty  that  was  getting  to  be  more  and 
more  interesting,  as  the  prospect  of  its  successful  accom 
plishment  grew  brighter. 

It  was  not  long  before  the  Coquette  reached  the  chan 
nel  which  forms  the  available  mouth  of  the  estuary.  Here 
the  ship  was  again  brought  to  the  wind,  and  men  were  sent 
upon  the  yards  and  all  her  more  lofty  spars,  in  order  to 
overlook,  by  the  dim  and  deceitful  light,  as  much  of  the 
inner  water  as  the  eye  could  reach  ;  while  Ludlow,  as 
sisted  by  the  master,  was  engaged  in  the  same  employ 
ment  on  the  deck.  Two  or  three  midshipmen  were  in 
cluded  among  the  common  herd  aloft. 

"  There  is  nothing  visible  within,"  said  the  Captain,  after 
a  long  and  anxious  search  with  a  glass.  "The  shadow 
of  the  Jersey  mountains  prevents  the  sight  in  that  direc 
tion,  while  the  spars  of  a  frigate  might  be  confounded 
with  the  trees  of  Staten  Island,  here,  in  the  northern  board. 
Cross-jackyard,  there  ! " 

The  shrill  voice  of  a  midshipman  answered  to  the  hail. 

"  What  do  you  make  within  the  Hook,  sir  ?  " 

"  Nothing  visible.  Our  barge  is  pulling  along  the  land, 
and  the  launch  appears  to  be  lying  off  the  inlet ;  aye,  here 
is  the  yawl  resting  on  its  oars  without  the  Romer  ;  but  we 
can  find  nothing  which  even  looks  like  the  cutter  in  the 
range  of  Coney." 


282 

"  Take  another  sweep  of  the  glass  more  westward,  and 
look  well  into  the  mouth  of  the  Raritan  ;  mark  you  any 
thing  in  that  quarter  ?  " 

"  Ha  !  here  is  a  speck  on  our  lee  quarter." 

"  What  do  you  make  of  it  ?  " 

"  Unless  sight  deceives  me  greatly,  sir,  there  is  a  light 
boat  pulling  in  for  the  ship,  about  three  cables'  length  dis 
tant." 

Ludlow  raised  his  own  glass,  and  swept  the  water  in  the 
direction  named.  After  one  or  two  unsuccessful  trials,  his 
eye  caught  the  object ;  and  as  the  moon  had  now  some 
power,  he  was  at  no  loss  to  distinguish  its  character.  There 
Was  evidently  a  boat,  and  one  that,  by  its  movements,  had 
a  design  of  holding  a  communication  with  the  cruiser. 

The  eye  of  a  seaman  is  acute  on  his  element,  and  his 
mind  is  quick  in  forming  opinions  on  all  things  that 
properly  appertain  to  his  profession.  Ludlow  saw  instantly, 
by  the  construction,  that  the  boat  was  not  one  of  those  sent 
from  the  ship  ;  that  it  approached  in  a  direction  which 
enabled  it  to  avoid  the  Coquette,  by  keeping  in  a  part  of 
the  bay  where  the  water  was  not  sufficiently  deep  to  admit 
of  her  passage  ;  and  that  its  movements  were  so  guarded 
as  to  denote  great  caution,  while  there  was  an  evident  wish 
to  draw  as  near  to  the  cruiser  as  prudence  might  render  ad 
visable.  Taking  a  trumpet,  he  hailed  in  the  well-known 
and  customary  manner. 

The  answer  came  up  faintly  against  the  air,  but  it  \vas 
uttered  with  much  practice  in  the  implement  and  with  an 
exceeding  compass  of  voice. 

"  Aye,  aye  !  "  and,  "  A  parley  from  the  brigantine  !  "  were 
the  only  words  that  were  distinctly  audible. 

For  a  minute  or  two  the  young  man  paced  the  deck  in 
silence.  Then  he  suddenly  commanded  the  only  boat 
which  the  cruiser  now  possessed,  to  be  lowered  and  manned. 

"  Throw  an  ensign  into  the  stern-sheets,"  he  said,  when 
these  orders  were  executed  ;  "  and  let  there  be  arms  be 
neath  it.  We  will  keep  faith  while  faith  is  observed,  but 
there  are  reasons  for  caution  in  this  Interview." 

Trysail  was  directed  to  keep  the  ship  stationary,  and 
after  giving  to  his  subordinate  private  instructions  of  im 
portance  in  the  event  of  treachery,  Ludlow  went  into  the 
boat  in  person.  A  very  few  minutes  sufficed  to  bring  the 
jolly-boat  and  the  stranger  so  near  each  other  that  the 
means  of  communication  were  both  easy  and  sure.  The 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  283 

men  of  the  former  were  then  commanded  to  cease  rowing, 
and,  raising  his  glass,  the  commander  of  the  cruise  took  a 
more  certain  and  minute  survey  of  those  who  awaited  his 
coming.  The  strange  boat  was  dancing  on  the  waves,  like 
a  light  shell  that  floated  so  buoyantly  as  scarce  to  touch 
the  element  which  sustained  it,  while  four  athletic  men 
leaned  on  the  oars  which  lay  ready  to  urge  it  ahead. 
In  the  stern  sheets  stood  a  form,  whose  attitude  and  mien 
could  not  readily  be  mistaken.  In  the  admirable  steadiness 
of  the  figure,  the  folded  arms,  the  fine  and  manly  propor 
tions,  and  the  attire,  Ludlow  recognized  the  mariner  of  the 
India  shawl.  A  wave  of  the  hand  induced  him  to  venture 
nearer. 

"  What  is  asked  of  the  royal  cruiser  ? "  demanded  the  Cap 
tain  of  the  vessel  named,  when  the  two  boats  were  as  near 
each  other  as  seemed  expedient. 

"  Confidence  !  "  was  the  calm  reply.  "  Come  nearer,  Cap 
tain  Ludlow  ;  I  am  here  with  naked  hands  !  Our  confer 
ence  need  not  be  maintained  with  trumpets." 

Ashamed  that  a  boat  belonging  to  a  ship  of  war  should 
betray  doubts,  the  people  of  the  yawl  were  ordered  to  go 
within  reach  of  the  oars. 

"  Well,  sir,  you  have  your  wish.  I  have  quitted  my 
ship,  and  come  to  the  parley,  with  the  smallest  of  my 
boats." 

"It  is  unnecessary  to  say  what  has  been  done  with  the 
others,"  returned  Tiller,  across  the  firm  muscles  of  whose 
face  there  passed  a  smile  that  was  scarcely  perceptible. 
"  You  hunt  us  hard,  sir,  and  give  but  little  rest  to  the  brig- 
antine.  But  again  you  are  foiled !  " 

"  We  have  a  harbinger  of  better  fortune  in  a  lucky  blow 
that  has  been  struck  to-night." 

"  You  are  understood,  sir ;  Master  Seadrift  has  fallen 
into  the  hands  of  the  Queen's  servants — but  take  good 
heed !  if  injury,  in  word  or  deed,  befall  that  youth,  there 
live  those  who  well  know  how  to  resent  the  wrong ! " 

"  These  are  lofty  expressions  to  come  from  a  proscribed 
man  ;  but  we  will  overlook  them  in  the  motive.  Your 
brigantine,  Master  Tiller,  lost  its  master-spirit  in  the  Skim 
mer  of  the  Seas,  and  it  may  be  wise  to  listen  to  the  sug 
gestions  of  moderation.  If  you  are  disposed  to  treat  I  am 
here  with  no  disposition  to  extort." 

"  We  meet  in  a  suitable  spirit  then,  for  I  come  prepared 
to  offer  terms  of  ransom  that  Queen  Anne,  if  she  love  her 


284  THE  WATER-WITCH. 

revenue,  need  not  despise  ;  but,  as  in  duty  to  her  Majesty, 
I  will  first  listen  to  her  royal  pleasure." 

"  First,  then,  as  a  seaman,  and  one  who  is  not  ignorant 
of  what  a  vessel  can  perform,  let  me  direct  your  attention 
to  the  situation  of  the  parties.  I  am  certain  that  the 
Water-Witch,  though  for  the  moment  concealed  by  the 
shadows  of  the  hills,  or  favored,  perhaps,  by  distance  and 
the  feebleness  of  this  light,  is  in  the  waters  of  the  bay.  A 
force,  against  which  she  has  no  power  of  resistance,  watch 
es  the  inlet ;  you  see  the  cruiser  in  readiness  to  meet  her 
off  the  Hook.  My  boats  are  so  stationed  as  to  preclude 
the  possibility  of  escape  without  sufficient  notice  by  the 
northern  channel ;  and,  in  short,  the  outlets  are  all  closed 
to  your  passage.  With  the  morning  light  we  shall  know 
your  position  and  act  accordingly." 

"  No  chart  can  show  the  dangers  of  rocks  and  shoals 
more  clearly !  And  to  avoid  these  dangers — 

"Yield  the  brigantine  and  depart.  Though  outlawed 
we  shall  content  ourselves  with  the  possession  of  the  re 
markable  vessel  in  which  you  do  your  mischief,  and  hope 
that,  deprived  of  the  means  to  err,  you  will  return  to  better 
courses." 

"  With  the  prayers  of  the  Church  for  our  amendment ! 
Now  listen,  Captain  Ludlow,  to  what  I  offer.  You  have 
the  person  of  one  much  loved  by  all  who  follow  the  lady 
of  the  sea-green  mantle  in  your  power ;  and  we  have  a 
brigantine  that  does  much  injury  to  Queen  Anne's  su 
premacy  in  the  waters  of  this  hemisphere  ;  yield  you  the 
captive  and  we  promise  to  quit  this  coast,  never  to  return." 

"  This  were  a  worthy  treaty,  truly,  for  one  whose  habi 
tation  is  not  a  mad-house  !  Relinquish  my  right  over  the 
principal  doer  of  the  evil  and  receive  the  unsupported 
pledge  of  a  subordinate's  word  !  Your  happy  fortune, 
Master  Tiller,  has  troubled  your  reason.  What  I  offer  was 
offered  because  I  would  not  drive  an  unfortunate  and  re 
markable  man  like  him  we  have,,  to  extremities,  and — 
there  may  be  other  motives,  but  do  not  rnistake  my  lenity. 
Should  force  become  necessary  to  put  your  vessel  into  our 
hands,  the  law  may  view  your  offences  with  a  still  harsher 
eye.  Deeds  which  the  lenity  of  our  system  now  considers 
as  venial  may  easily  turn  to  crime  !  " 

"  I  ought  not  to  take  your  distrust  as  other  than  excusa 
ble,"  returned  the  smuggler,  evidently  suppressing  a  feel 
ing  of  haughty  and  wounded  pride.  "  The  word  of  a  free- 


THE   WATER-WITCH. 


285 


trader  should  have  little  weight  in  the  ears  of  a  queen's 
officer.  We  have  been  trained  in  different  schools,  and 
the  same  objects  are  seen  in  different  colors.  Your  pro 
posal  has  been  heard,  and,  with  some  thanks  for  its  fair  in 
tentions,  it  is  refused  without  a  hope  of  acceptance.  Our 
brigantine  is,  as  you  rightly  think,  a  remarkable  vessel  J 
Her  equal,  sir,  for  beauty  or  speed  floats  not  the  ocean. 
By  Heaven  !  I  would  sooner  slight  the  smiles  of  the  fairest 
woman  that  walks  the  earth  than  entertain  a  thought 
which  should  betray  the  interest  I  feel  in  that  jewel  of 
naval  skill !  You  have  seen  her  at  many  times,  Captain 
Ludlow — in  squalls  and  calms  ;  with  her  wings  abroad  and 
her  pinions  shut ;  by  day  and  night ;  near  and  far ;  fair 
and  foul ;  and  I  ask  you,  with  a  seaman's  frankness,  is  she 
not  a  toy  to  fill  a  seaman's  heart  ? " 

"  I  deny  not  the  vessel's  merits,  nor  her  beauty — 'tis  a 
pity  she  bears  no  better  reputation." 

"  I  knew  you  could  not  withhold  this  praise  !  But  I 
grow  childish  when  there  is  question  of  that  brigantine  ! 
Well,  sir,  each  has  been  heard,  and  now  comes  the  conclu 
sion.  I  part  with  the  apple  of  my  eye,  ere  a  stick  of  that 
lovely  fabric  is  willingly  deserted.  Shall  we  make  other 
ransom  for  the  youth  ?  What  think  you  of  a  pledge  in 
gold,  to  be  forfeited  should  wre  forget  our  wrord  ? " 

"  You  ask  impossibilities.  In  treating  thus  at  all  I  quit 
the  path  of  proud  authority,  because,  as  has  been  said, 
there  is  that  about  the  Skimmer  of  the  Seas  that  raises 
him  above  the  coarse  herd  who  in  common  traffic  against 
the  law.  The  brigantine  or  nothing  !  " 

"  My  life  before  that  brigantine  !  Sir,  you  forget  our 
fortunes  are  protected  by  one  who  laughs  at  the  efforts  of 
your  fleet.  You  think  that  we  are  inclosed,  and  that,  when 
light  shall  return,  there  will  remain  merely  the  easy  task 
to  place  your  iron-mounted  cruiser  on  our  beam,  and  drive 
us  to  seek  mercy.  Here  are  honest  mariners  who  could 
tell  you  of  the  hopelessness  of  the  expedient.  The  Water- 
Witch  has  run  the  gauntlet  of  all  your  navies,  and  shot  has 
never  yet  defaced  her  beauty." 

"  And  yet  her  limbs  have  been  known  to  fall  before  a 
messenger  from  my  ship." 

"  The  stick  wranted  the  commission  of  our  mistress," 
interrupted  the  other,  glancing  his  eye  at  the  credulous 
and  attentive  crew  of  the  boat.  "In  a  thoughtless  mo 
ment  'twas  taken  up  at  sea  and  fashioned  to  our  purpose 


286  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

without  counsel  from  the  book.  Nothing  that  touches  our 
decks,  under  fitting  advice,  comes  to  harm.  You  look  in 
credulous,  and  it  is  character  to  seem  so.  If  you  refuse  to 
listen  to  the  lady  of  the  brigantine,  at  least  lend  an  ear  to 
your  own  laws.  Of  what  offence  can  you  charge  Master 
Seadrift,  that  you  hold  him  captive  ? " 

"  His  redoubted  name  of  Skimmer  of  the  Seas  were 
warranty  to  force  him  from  a  sanctuary,"  returned  Lud- 
low,  smiling.  "Though  proof  should  fail  of  any  immedi 
ate  crime  there  is  impunity  for  the  arrest,  since  the  law  re 
fuses  to  protect  him." 

"This  is  your  boasted  justice!  Rogues  in  authority 
combine  to  condemn  an  absent  and  a  silent  man.  But  if  you 
think  to  do  your  violence  with  impunity,  know  there  are 
those  who  take  deep  interest  in  the  welfare  of  that  youth." 

"This  is  foolish  bandying  of  menaces,"  said  the  Cap 
tain,  warmly.  "  If  you  accept  my  offers,  speak  ;  and  if  you 
reject  them,  abide  the  consequences." 

"  I  abide  the  consequences.  But  since  we  cannot  come 
to  terms  as  victor  and  the  submitting  party,  we  may  part 
in  amity.  Touch  my  hand,  Captain  Ludlow,  as  one  brave 
man  should  salute  another  though  the  next  minute  they 
are  to  grapple  at  the  throat." 

Ludlow  hesitated.  The  proposal  was  made  with  so 
frank  and  manly  a  mien,  and  the  air  of  the  freetrader,  as 
he  leaned  beyond  the  gunwale  of  his  boat,  was  so  superior 
to  his  pursuit,  that,  unwilling  to  seem  churlish,  or  to  be 
outdone  in  courtesy,  he  reluctantly  consented,  and  laid  his 
palm  within  the  other  offered.  The  smuggler  profited  by  the 
junction  to  draw  the  boats  nearer,  and,  to  the  amazement 
of  all  who  witnessed  the  action,  he  stepped  boldly  into  the 
yawl,  and  was  seated  face  to  face  with  its  officer  in  a  mo 
ment. 

"These  are  matters  that  are  not  fit  for  every  ear,"  said 
the  decided  and  confident  mariner,  in  an  undertone,  when 
he  had  made  this  sudden  change  in  the  position  of  the  par 
ties.  "  Deal  with  me  frankly,  Captain  Ludlow  ;  is  your 
prisoner  left  to  brood  on  his  melancholy,  or  does  he  feel 
the  consolation  of  knowing  that  others  take  an  interest  in 
his  welfare  ? " 

"  He  does  not  want  for  sympathy,  Master  Tiller,  since 
he  has  the  pity  of  the  finest  woman  in  America." 

"  Ha !  la  belle  Barberie  owns  her  esteem  ;  is  the  con 
jecture  right  ?" 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  287 

"  Unhappily  you  are  too  near  the  truth.  The  infatuated 
girl  seems  but  to  live  in  his  presence.  She  has  so  far  for 
gotten  the  opinion  of  others  as  to  follow  him  to  my  ship." 

Tiller  listened  intently  ;  from  that  instant  all  concern 
disappeared  from  his  countenance. 

"  He  who  is  thus  favored  may,  for  a  moment,  even  forget 
the  brigantine  !"  he  exclaimed,  with  his  natural  reckless 
ness  of  air.  "  And  the  Alderman  ?  " 

"  Has  more  discretion  than  his  niece,  since  he  did  not 
permit  her  to  come  alone." 

"  Enough.  Captain  Ludlow,  let  what  will  follow,  we 
part  as  friends.  Fear  not,  sir,  to  touch  the  hand  of  a 
proscribed  man  again  ;  it  is  honest  after  its  own  fashion, 
and  many  is  the  peer  and  prince  who  keeps  not  so  clean  a 
palm.  Deal  tenderly  with  that  gay  and  rash  young  sailor  ; 
he  wants  the  discretion  of  an  older  head,  but  the  heart  is 
kindness  itself.  I  would  hazard  life  to  shelter  his,  but  at 
every  hazard  the  brigantine  must  be  saved.  Adieu." 

There  was  emotion  in  the  voice  of  the  mariner  of  the 
shawl,  notwithstanding  his  high  bearing.  Squeezing  the 
hand  of  Ludlow,  he  passed  back  into  his  own  barge  with  the 
ease  and  steadiness  of  one  who  had  made  the  ocean  his  home. 

"  Adieu  !  "  he  repeated,  signing  to  his  men  to  pull  in  the 
direction  of  the  shoals,  where  it  was  certain  the  ship  could 
not  follow.  "We  may  meet  again  ;  until  then,  adieu." 

"We  are  sure  to  meet  with  the  return  of  light." 

"  Believe  it  not,  brave  gentleman.  Our  lady  will  thrust 
the  spars  under  her  girdle,  and  pass  a  fleet  unseen.  A 
sailor's  blessing  on  you  ;  fair  winds  and  a  plenty  ;  a  safe 
land-fall,  and  a  cheerful  home  !  Deal  kindly  by  the  boy  ; 
and,  in  all  but  evil  wishes  to  my  vessel,  success  light  on 
your  ensign  !  " 

The  seamen  of  both  boats  dashed  their  oars  into  the 
water  at  the  same  instant,  and  the  two  parties  were  quickly 
without  the  hearing  of  the  voice. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

Did  I  tell  this, 
Who  would  believe  me  ? — Measure  for  Measure. 

THE  time  of  the  interview  related  in  the  close  of  the 
preceding  chapter  was  in  the  early  watches  of  the  night. 
It  now  becomes  our  duty  to  transport  the  reader  to  another 


2S8  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

that  had  place  several  hours  later,  and  after  day  had 
dawned  on  the  industrious  burghers  of  Manhattan. 

There  stood  near  one  of  the  wooden  wharves  which 
lined  the  arm  of  the  sea  on  which  the  city  is  so  happily 
placed,  a  dwelling,  around  which  there  was  every  sign  that 
its  owner  was  engaged  in  a  retail  commerce,  that  was 
active  and  thriving  for  that  age  and  country.  Notwith 
standing  the  earliness  of  the  hour,  the  windows  of  this 
house  were  open  ;  and  an  individual,  of  a  busy-looking 
face,  thrust  his  head  so  often  from  one  of  the  casements, 
as  to  show  that  he  had  already  expected  the  appearance  of 
a  second  party  in  the  affair  that  had  probably  called  him 
from  his  bed  even  sooner  than  common.  A  tremendous 
rap  at  the  door  relieved  his  visible  uneasiness  ;  and,  hasten 
ing  to  open  it,  he  received  his  visitor  with  much  parade  of 
ceremony,  and  many  protestations  of  respect,  in  person. 

"  This  is  an  honor,  my  lord,  that  does  not  often  befall 
men  of  my  humble  condition,"  said  the  master  of  the 
house,  in  the  flippant  utterance  of  a  vulgar  cockney  ;  "  but 
I  thought  it  would  be  more  agreeable  to  your  lordship  to 
receive  the  a — a —  here,  than  in  the  place  where  your 
lordship  just  at  this  moment  resides.  Will  your  lordship 
please  to  rest  yourself,  after  your  lordship's  walk  ? " 

"  I  thank  you,  Carnaby,"  returned  the  other,  taking  the 
offered  seat  with  an  air  of  easy  superiority.  "  You  judge 
with  your  usual  discretion  as  respects  the  place,  though  I 
doubt  the  prudence  of  seeing  him  at  all.  Has  the  man 
come  ?" 

"  Doubtless,  my  lord  ;  he  would  hardly  presume  to  keep 
your  lordship  waiting,  and  much  less  would  I  countenance 
him  in  so  gross  a  disrespect.  He  will  be  most  happy  to 
wait  on  you,  whenever  your  lordship  shall  please." 

"Let  him  wait ;  there  is  no  necessity  for  haste.  He  has 
probably  communicated  some  of  the  objects  of  this  extra 
ordinary  call  on  my  time,  Carnaby  ;  and  you  can  break 
them  in  the  intervening  moments." 

"I  am  sorry  to  say,  my  lord,  that  the  fellow  is  as 
obstinate  as  a  mule.  I  felt  the  impropriety  of  introducing 
him  personally  to  your  lordship  ;  but  as  he  insisted  he 
had  affairs  that  would  deeply  interest  you,  my  lord,  I 
could  not  take  upon  me  to  say  what  would  be  agreeable 
to  your  lordship,  or  what  not ;  and  so  I  was  bold  enough 
to  write  the  note." 

"  And  a  very  properly  expressed  note   it  was,  Master 


THE  WATER-WITCH.  289 

Carnaby.      I    have   not   received   a   better-worded    com 
munication  since  my  arrival  in  this  colony." 

"  I  am  sure  the  approbation  of  your  lordship  might 
justly  make  any  man  proud.  It  is  the  ambition  of  my 
life,  my  lord,  to  do  the  duties  of  my  station  in  a  proper 
manner,  and  to  treat  all  above  me  with  a  suitable  respect, 
my  lord,  and  all  below  me  as  in  reason  bound.  If  I  might 
presume  to  think  in  such  a  matter,  my  lord,  I  should  say 
that  these  colonists  are  no  great  judges  of  propriety  in 
their  correspondence,  or,  indeed,  in  anything  else." 

The  noble  visitor  shrugged  his  shoulders,  and  threw  an 
expression  into  his  look  that  encouraged  the  retailer  to 
proceed. 

"  It  is  just  what  I  think  myself,  my  lord,"  he  continued, 
simpering  ;  "but  then,"  he  added,  with  a  condoling  and 
patronizing  air,  "  how  should  they  know  any  better  ? 
England  is  but  an  island,  after  all  ;  and  the  whole  world 
cannot  be  born  and  educated  on  the  same  bit  of  earth." 

"  'Twould  be  inconvenient,  Carnaby,  if  it  led  to  no 
other  unpleasant  consequence." 

"  Almost  word  for  word  what  I  said  to  Mrs.  Carnaby 
myself,  no  later  than  yesterday,  my  lord,  only  vastly 
better  expressed.  ''Twould  be  inconvenient,' said  I  'Mrs. 
Carnaby,  to  take  in  the  other  lodger,  for  everybody 
cannot  live  in  the  same  house  ; '  which  covers,  as  it  were, 
the  ground  taken  in  your  lordship's  sentiment.  I  ought 
to  add,  in  behalf  of  the  poor  woman,  that  she  expressed, 
on  the  same  occasion,  strong  regrets  that  it  is  reported 
your  lordship  will  be  likely  to  quit  us  soon,  on  your 
return  to  old  England." 

"That  is  really  a  subject  on  which  there  is  more  cause 
to  rejoice  than  to  weep.  This  imprisoning,  or  placing 
within  limits,  so  near  a  relative  of  the  crown,  is  an  affair 
that  must  have  unpleasant  consequences,  and  which 
offends  sadly  against  propriety." 

"  It  is  awful,  my  lord  !  If  it  be  not  sacrilege  by  the  law, 
the  greater  the  shame  of  the  Opposition  in  Parliament, 
who  defeat  so  many  other  wholesome  regulations  intended 
for  the  good  of  the  subject." 

"  Faith,  I  am  not  sure  I  may  not  be  driven  to  join  them 
myself,  bad  as  they  are,  Carnaby  ;  for  this  neglect  of 
ministers,  not  to  call  it  by  a  worse  name,  might  goad  a 
man  to  a  more  heinous  measure." 

"  I  am  sure   nobody  could  blame  your  lordship,  were 

19 


290  THE  WATER-WITCH. 

your  lordship  to  join  anybody,  or  anything,  but  the 
French  !  I  have  often  told  Mrs.  Carnaby  as  much  as  that 
in  our  frequent  conversations  concerning  the  unpleasant 
situation  in  which  your  lordship  is  just  now  placed." 

"  I  had  not  thought  the  awkward  transactions  attracted 
so  much  notice,"  observed  the  other,  evidently  wincing 
under  the  allusion. 

"  It  attracts  it  only  in  a  proper  and  respectful  way,  my 
lord.  Neither  Mrs.  Carnaby,  nor  myself,  ever  indulges 
in  any  of  these  remarks,  but  in  the  most  proper  and  truly 
English  manner." 

"  The  reservation  might  palliate  a  greater  error.  That 
word  proper  is  a  prudent  term,  and  expresses  all  one  could 
wish.  I  had  not  thought  you  so  intelligent  and  shrewd  a 
man,  Master  Carnaby ;  clever  in  the  way  of  business,  I 
always  knew  you  to  be  ;  but  so  apt  in  reason,  and  so  ma 
tured  in  principle,  is  what  I  will  confess  I  had  not  ex 
pected.  Can  you  form  no  conjecture  of  the  business  of 
this  man  ? " 

"  Not  in  the  least,  my  lord.  I  pressed  the  impropriety 
of  a  personal  interview  ;  for  though  he  alluded  to  some 
business  or  other,  I  scarcely  know  what,  with  which  he 
appeared  to  think  your  lordship  had  some  connection,  I 
did  not  understand  him,  and  we  had  liked  to  have  parted 
without  an  explanation." 

"  I  will  not  see  the  fellow." 

"  Just  as  your  lordship  pleases — I  am  sure  that,  after  so 
many  little  affairs  have  passed  through  my  hands,  I  might 
be  safely  trusted  with  this  ;  and  I  said  as  much — but  as  he 
positively  refused  to  make  me  an  agent,  and  he  insisted 
that  it  was  so  much  to  your  lordship's  interest — why  I 
thought,  my  lord,  that  perhaps — just  now " 

"  Show  him  in." 

Carnaby  bowed  low  and  submissively,  and,  after  busying 
himself  in  placing  the  chairs  aside,  and  adjusting  the  table 
more  conveniently  for  the  elbow  of  his  guest,  he  left  the 
room. 

"Where  is  the  man  I  bid  you  keep  in  the  shop?"  de 
manded  the  retailer,  in  a  coarse,  authoritative  voice  when 
without ;  addressing  a  meek  and  humble  looking  lad 
who  did  the  duty  of  clerk.  "  I  warrant  me  he  is  left  in  the 
kitchen,  and  you  have  been  idling  about  on  the  walk  !  A 
more  heedless  and  inattentive  lad  than  yourself  is  not  to 
be  found  in  America,  and  the  sun  never  rises  but  I  repent 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  291 

having  signed  your  indentures.  You  shall  pay  for  this, 
you " 

The  appearance  of  the  person  he  sought  cut  short  the 
denunciations  of  the  obsequious  grocer  and  the  domestic 
tyrant.  He  opened  the  door,  and  having  again  closed  it, 
left  his  two  visitors  together. 

Though  the  degenerated  descendant  of  the  great  Clar 
endon  had  not  hesitated  to  lend  his  office  to  cloak  the  ir 
regular  and  unlawful  trade  that  was  then  so  prevalent  in 
the  American  seas,  he  had  paid  the  sickly  but  customary 
deference  to  virtue  of  refusing  on  all  occasions  to  treat 
personally  with  its  agents.  Sheltered  behind  his  official 
and  personal  rank,  he  had  soothed  his  feelings  by  tacitly 
believing  that  cupidity  is  less  venal  when  its  avenues  are 
hidden  ;  and  that  in  protecting  his  station  from  an  im 
mediate  contact  with  its  ministers,  he  had  discharged  an 
important,  and,  for  one  in  his  situation,  an  imperative 
duty.  Unequal  to  the  exercise  of  virtue  itself,  he  thought 
he  had  done  enough  in  preserving  some  of  its  seemliness. 
Though  far  from  paying  even  this  slight  homage  to  de 
cency  in  his  more  ordinary  habits,  his  pride  of  rank  had,  on 
the  subject  of  so  coarse  a  failing,  induced  him  to  maintain 
an  appearance  which  his  pride  of  character  would  not  have 
suggested.  Carnaby  was  much  the  most  degraded  and 
the  lowest  of  those  with  whom  he  ever  condescended  to 
communicate  directly  ;  and  even  with  him  there  might 
have  been  some  scruple  had  not  his  necessities  caused 
him  to  stoop  so  far  as  to  accept  pecuniary  assistance  from 
one  he  both  despised  and  detested. 

When  the  door  opened,  therefore,  the  Lord  Cornbury 
rose,  and  determined  to  bring  the  interview  to  a  speedy 
issue.  He  turned  to  face  the  individual  who  entered  with 
a  mien  into  which  he  threw  all  the  distance  and  hauteur 
that  he  thought  necessary  for  such  an  object.  But  he  en 
countered  in  the  mariner  of  the  India  shawl  a  very  differ 
ent  man  from  the  nattering  and  obsequious  grocer  who 
had  just  quitted  him.  Eye  met  eye  ;  his  gaze  of  authority 
receiving  a  look  as  steady,  if  not  as  curious,  as  his  own. 
It  was  evident  by  the  composure  of  the  fine,  manly  frame 
he  saw  that  its  owner  rested  his  claims  on  the  aristocracy 
of  nature.  The  noble  forgot  his  acting  under  the  influ 
ence  of  surprise,  and  his  voice  expressed  as  much  admira* 
tion  as  command  when  he  said — 

"  This,  then,  is  the  Skimmer  of  the  Seas  ! " 


292  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

"  Men  call  me  thus  ;  if  a  life  passed  on  oceans  gives  a 
claim  to  the  title,  it  has  been  fairly  earned." 

"  Your  character — I  may  say  that  some  portions  of  your 
history,  are  not  unknown  to  me.  Poor  Carnaby,  who  is  a 
worthy  and  an  industrious  man,  with  a  growing  family 
dependent  on  his  exertions,  has  entreated  me  to  receive 
you,. or  there  might  be  less  apology  for  this  step  than  I 
could  wish.  Men  of  a  certain  rank,  Master  Skimmer, 
owe  so  much  to  their  station  that  I  rely  on  your  discre 
tion." 

"  I  have  stood  in  nobler  presences,  my  lord,  and 
found  so  little  change  by  the  honor  that  I  am  not  apt  to 
boast  of  what  I  see.  Some  of  princely  rank  have  found 
their  profit  in  my  acquaintance." 

"  I  do  not  deny  your  usefulness,  sir  ;  it  is  only  the  neces 
sity  of  prudence,  I  would  urge.  There  has  been,  I  believe, 
some  sort  of  implied  contract  between  us — at  least,  so 
Carnaby  explains  the  transaction,  for  I  rarely  enter  into 
these  details  myself — by  which  you  perhaps  may  feel  some 
right  to  include  me  in  the  list  of  your  customers.  Men  in 
high  places  must  respect  the  laws  ;  yet  it  is  not  always 
convenient,  or  even  useful,  that  they  should  deny  them 
selves  every  indulgence  which  policy  would  prohibit  to  the 
mass.  One  who  has  seen  as  much  of  life  as  yourself  needs 
no  explanation  on  this  head  ;  and  I  cannot  doubt  but  our 
present  interview  will  have  a  satisfactory  termination." 

The  Skimmer  scarce  deemed  it  necessary  to  conceal  the 
contempt  that  caused  his  lip  to  curl,  while  the  other  was 
endeavoring  to  mystify  his  cupidity.  When  the  speaker 
was  done  he  merely  expressed  an  assent  by  a  slight  in 
clination  of  the  head.  The  ex-governor  saw  that  his 
attempt  was  fruitless,  and  by  relinquishing  his  masquerade 
and  yielding  more  to  his  natural  propensities  and  tastes  he 
succeeded  better. 

"  Carnaby  has  been  a  faithful  agent,"  he  continued, 
"  and  by  his  reports  it  would  seem  that  our  confidence  has 
not  been  misplaced.  If  fame  speaks  true,  there  is  not  a 
more  dexterous  navigator  of  the  narrow  seas  than  thyself, 
Master  Skimmer.  It  is  to  be  supposed  that  your  corre 
spondents  on  this  coast,  too,  are  as  lucrative  as  I  doubt  not 
they  are  numerous." 

"  He  who  sells  cheap  can  never  want  a  purchaser.  I 
think  your  lordship  has  no  reason  to  complain  of  prices." 

"  As   pointed   as   his   compass !     Well,   sir,  as   I  am  no 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  293 

longer  master  here,  may  I  ask  the  object  of  this  inter 
view  ? " 

"  I  have  come  to  seek  your  interest  in  behalf  of  one  who 
has  fallen  into  the  grasp  of  the  Queen's  officers." 

"  Hum — the  amount  of  which  is,  that  the  cruiser  in  the 
bay  has  entrapped  a  careless  smuggler.  We  are  none  of 
us  immortal,  and  an  arrest  is  but  a  legal  death  of  men  of 
your  persuasion  in  commerce.  Interest  is  a  word  of  many 
meanings.  It  is  the  interest  of  one  man  to  lend,  and  of 
another  to  borrow — of  the  creditor  to  receive,  and  of  the 
debtor  to  avoid  payment.  Then  there  is  interest  at  court, 
and  interest  in  court — in  short,  you  must  deal  more  frankly 
ere  I  can  decide  on  the  purport  of  your  visit." 

"  I  am  not  ignorant  that  the  Queen  has  been  pleased  to 
name  another  governor  over  this  colony,  or  that  your 
creditors,  my  lord,  have  thought  it  prudent  to  take  a 
pledge  for  their  dues,  in  your  person.  Still,  I  must  think 
that  one  who  stands  so  near  the  Queen  in  blood,  and 
who  sooner  or  later  must  enjoy  both  rank  and  fortune  in 
the  mother  country,  will  not  solicit  so  slight  a  boon  as 
that  I  ask  without  success.  This  is  the  reason  I  prefer  to 
treat  with  you." 

"  As  clear  an  explanation  as  the  shrewdest  casuist  could 
desire  !  I  admire  your  succinctness,  Master  Skimmer,  and 
confess  you  for  the  pink  of  etiquette.  When  your  fortune 
shall  be  made,  I  recommend  the  court  circle  as  your  place 
of  retirement.  Governors,  creditors,  Queen,  and  impris 
onment,  all  as  compactly  placed  in  the  same  sentence  as  if 
it  were  the  creed  written  on  a  thumb-nail !  Well,  sir,  wo 
will  suppose  my  interest  what  you  wish  it.  Who  and 
what  is  the  delinquent  ?  " 

"  One  named  Seadrift — a  useful  and  a  pleasant  youth, 
who  passes  much  between  me  and  my  customers  ;  heedless 
and  merry  in  his  humors,  but  dear  to  all  in  my  brigantine, 
because  of  tried  fidelity  and  shrewd  wit.  We  could  sacri 
fice  the  profits  of  the  voyage  that  he  were  free.  To  me  he 
is  a  necessary  agent,  for  his  skill  in  the  judgment  of  rich 
tissues,  and  other  luxuries  that  compose  my  traffic,  is  ex 
ceeding  ;  and  I  am  better  fitted  to  guide  the  vessel  to  her 
haven,  and  to  look  to  her  safety  amid  shoals  and  in  tem 
pests,  than  to  deal  in  these  trifles  of  female  vanity." 

"  So  dexterous  a  go-between  should  not  have  mistaken 
a  tide-waiter  for  a  customer — how  befell  the  accident?  " 

"  He  met  the  barge  of  the  Coquette  at  an  unlucky  mo- 


294  THE  WATER-WITCH* 

ment,  and  as  we  had  so  lately  been  chased  off  the  coast 
by  the  cruiser  there  was  no  choice  but  to  arrest  him." 

"The  dilemma  it  not  without  embarrassment.  When 
once  his  mind  is  settled,  it  is  no  trifle  that  will  amuse  this 
Mr.  Ludlow.  I  do  not  know  a  more  literal  constructor  of 
his  orders  ;  a  man,  sir,  who  thinks  words  have  but  a  sin 
gle  set  of  meanings,  and  who  knows  as  little  as  can  be 
imagined  of  the  difference  between  a  sentiment  and  a 
practice." 

"  He  is  a  seaman,  my  lord,  and  he  reads  his  instructions 
with  a  seaman's  simplicity.  I  think  none  the  worse  of 
him,  that  he  cannot  be  tempted  from  his  duty  ;  for,  let 
us  understand  the  right  as  we  will,  our  service  once  taken, 
it  becomes  us  all  to  do  it  faithfully." 

A  small  red  spot  came  and  went  on  the  cheek  of  the 
profligate  Cornbury.  Ashamed  of  his  weakness,  he  af 
fected  to  laugh  at  what  he  heard,  and  continued  the  dis 
course. 

"Your  forbearance  and  charity  might  adorn  a  church 
man,  Master  Skimmer  !  "  he  answered.  "Nothing  can  be 
more  true,  for  this  is  an  age  of  moral  truths,  as  witness 
the  protestant  succession.  Men  are  now  expected  to 
perform,  and  not  to  profess.  Is  the  fellow  of  such  useful 
ness  that  he  may  not  be  abandoned  to  his  fate  ? " 

"  Much  as  I  dote  on  my  brigantine,  and  few  men  set 
their  affections  on  woman  with  stronger  love,  I  would  see 
the  beauteous  craft  degenerate  into  a  cutter  for  the  Queen's 
revenue  before  I  could  entertain  the  thought !  But  I 
will  not  anticipate  a  long  and  painful  imprisonment  for 
the  youth,  since  those  who  are  not  altogether  powerless 
already  take  a  deep  and  friendly  concern  in  his  safety." 

"You  have  overcome  the  brigadier  !  "  cried  the  other, 
in  a  burst  of  exultation,  that  conquered  the  little  reserve 
of  manner  he  had  thought  it  necessary  to  maintain  ; 
"  that  immaculate  and  reforming  representative  of  my 
royal  cousin  has  bitten  of  the  golden  bait,  and  proves 
a  true  colony  governor  after  all !  " 

"  Lord  Viscount,  no.  What  we  have  to  hope  or  what  we 
have  to  fear  from  your  successor,  is  to  me  a  secret." 

"  Ply  him  with  promises,  Master  Skimmer — set  golden 
hopes  before  his  imagination  ;  set  gold  itself  before  his 
eyes,  and  you  will  prosper.  I  will  pledge  my  expected  earl 
dom  that  he  yields  !  Sir,  these  distant  situations  are  like  so 
many  half-authorized  mints,  in  which  money  is  to  be  coined  ; 


THE   WATER-W 


295 


and  the   only  counterfeit  is  y 
Majesty.     Ply  him  with  golden 
yield!" 

"  Yet,  my  lord,  I  have  met  men  who  preferred  poverty 
and  their  opinions  to  gold  and  the  wishes  of  others." 

"  The  dolts  \vere  lusus  naturae  !  "  exclaimed  the  dissolute 
Cornbury,  losing  all  reserve  in  a  manner  that  better  suited 
his  known  and  confirmed  character.  "  You  should  have 
caged  them,  Skimmer,  and  profited  by  their  dulness  to  lay 
the  curious  under  contribution.  Don't  mistake  me,  sir,  if 
I  speak  a  little  in  confidence.  I  hope  I  kno\v  the  difference 
between  a  gentleman  and  a  leveller,  as  well  as  another  ;  but 
trust  me,  this  Mr.  Hunter  is  human,  and  he  will  yield  if 
proper  appliances  are  used  ;  and  you  expect  from  me — 

"  The  exercise  of  that  influence  which  cannot  fail  of  suc 
cess  ;  since  there  is  a  courtesy  between  men  of  a  certain 
station,  which  causes  them  to  overlook  rivalry,  in  a  spirit 
of  their  caste.  The  cousin  of  Queen  Anne  can  yet  obtain 
the  liberty  of  one  whose  heaviest  crime  is  a  free  trade, 
though  he  may  not  be  able  to  keep  his  own  seat  in  the  chair 
of  the  government." 

"  Thus  far,  indeed,  my  poor  influence  may  yet  extend, 
provided  the  fellow  be  not  named  in  any  act  of  outlawry.  I 
would  gladly  enough,  Mr.  Skimmer,  end  my  deeds  in  this 
hemisphere,  with  some  act  of  graceful  mercy,  if — indeed — 
I  saw — the  means " 

"  They  shall  not  be  wanting.  I  know  the  law  is  like  any 
other  article  of  great  price  ;  some  think  that  justice  holds 
the  balance,  in  order  to  weigh  her  fees.  Though  the  profits 
of  this  hazardous  and  sleepless  trade  of  mine  be  much  over 
rated,  I  would  gladly  line  her  scales  with  two  hundred 
broad  pieces,  to  have  that  youth  again  safe  in  the  cabin  of 
the  brigantine." 

As  the  Skimmer  of  the  Seas  thus  spoke,  he  drew,  with 
the  calmness  of  a  man  who  saw  no  use  in  circumlocution, 
a  heavy  bag  of  gold  from  beneath  his  frock,  and  deposited 
it,  without  a  second  look  at  the  treasure,  on  the  table. 
When  this  offering  was  made  he  turned  aside,  less  by  design 
than  a  careless  movement  of  the  body,  and,  when  he  faced 
his  companion  again,  the  bag  had  vanished. 

"  Your  affection  for  the  lad  is  touching,  Master  Skim 
mer,"  returned  the  corrupt  Cornbury  ;  "  it  were  a  pity  such 
friendship  should  be  wasted.  Will  there  be  proof  to  insure 
his  condemnation  ? " 


296  THE   WATER- WITCH. 

"  It  may  be  doubted.  His  dealings  have  only  been  with 
the  higher  class  of  my  customers,  and  with  but  few  of  them. 
The  care  I  now  take  is  more  in  tenderness  to  the  youth 
than  with  any  great  doubts  of  the  result.  I  shall  count  you, 
my  lord,  among  his  protectors,  in  the  event  that  the  affair 
is  noised !  " 

"  I  owe  it  to  your  frankness — but  will  Mr.  Ludlow  con 
tent  himself  with  the  possession  of  an  inferior,  when  the 
principal  is  so  near  ?  and  shall  we  not  have  a  confiscation 
of  the  brigantine  on  our  hands  5  " 

"  I  charge  myself  with  the  care  of  all  else.  There  was  in 
deed  a  lucky  escape  only  the  last  night  as  we  lay  at  a  light 
kedge,  waiting  for  the  return  of  him  who  has  been  arrested. 
Profiting  by  the  possession  of  our  skiif,  the  commander  of 
the  Coquette  himself  got  within  the  sweep  of  my  hawse — 
nay,  he  was  in  the  act  of  cutting  the  very  fastenings,  when 
the  dangerous  design  was  discovered.  Twould  have  been 
a  fate  unworthy  of  the  Water-Witch  to  be  cast  on  shore  like 
a  drifting  log,  and  to  check  her  noble  career  by  some  such 
a  seizure  as  that  of  a  stranded  waif ! " 

"  You  avoided  the  mischance  ? " 

"  My  eyes  are  seldom  shut,  Lord  Viscount,  when  there 
is  danger.  The  skiff  was  seen  in  time,  and  watched  ;  for  I 
knew  that  one  in  whom  I  trusted  was  abroad.  When  the 
movement  grew  suspicious,  we  had  our  means  of  frighten 
ing  this  Mr.  Ludlow  from  his  enterprise,  without  recourse 
to  violence." 

"  I  have  not  thought  him  one  to  be  scared  from  follow 
ing  up  a  business  like  this." 

"You  judged  him  rightly — I  may  say  we  judged  him 
rightly.  But  when  his  boat  sought  us  at  our  anchorage, 
the  bird  had  flown." 

"  You  got  the  brigantine  to  sea  in  season  ? "  observed 
Cornbury,  not  sorry  to  believe  that  the  vessel  was  already 
off  the  coast. 

"  I  had  no  other  business.  My  agent  could  not  be  thus 
deserted,  and  there  were  affairs  to  finish  in  the  city.  Our 
course  lay  up  the  bay." 

"  Ha !  Master  Skimmer,  'twas  a  bold  step,  and  one  that 
says  little  for  your  discretion  ! " 

"  Lord  Viscount,  there  is  safety  in  courage,"  calmly  and 
perhaps  ironically  returned  the  other.  "  While  the  Queen's 
Captain  closed  all  the  outlets,  my  little  craft  was  floating 
quietly  under  the  hills  of  Stanton.  Before  the  morning 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  297 

watch  was  set,  she  passed  three  wharves  ;  and  she  now 
awaits  her  Captain  in  the  broad  basin  that  lies  beyond 
the  bend  of  yonder  headland." 

"This  is  fool-hardiness.  A  failure  of  wind,  a  change 
of  the  tide,  or  any  of  the  mishaps  common  to  the  sea,  may 
throw  you  on  the  mercy  of  the  law,  and  will  greatly  em 
barrass  all  who  feel  an  interest  in  your  safety." 

"  So  far  as  this  apprehension  is  connected  with  my  wel 
fare,  I  thank  you  much,  my  lord  ;  but  trust  me,  many  hazards 
have  left  me  but  little  to  learn  in  this  particular.  We 
shall  run  the  Hell-Gate  and  gain  the  open  sea  by  the  Con 
necticut  Sound." 

"Truly,  Master  Skimmer,  one  has  need  of  nerves  to  be 
your  confidant !  Faith  in  a  compact  constitutes  the  beauty 
of  social  order ;  without  it  there  is  no  security  for  inter 
ests,  nor  any  repose  for  character.  But  faith  may  be  im 
plied  as  well  as  expressed  ;  and  when  men  in  certain  situa 
tions  place  their  dependence  on  others  who  should  have 
motives  for  being  wary,  the  first  are  bound  to  respect, 
even  to  the  details  of  a  most  scrupulous  construction,  the 
conditions  of  the  covenant.  Sir,  I  wash  my  hands  of  this 
transaction,  if  it  be  understood  that  testimony  is  to  be  ac 
cumulated  against  us  by  thus  putting  your  Water-Witch 
in  danger  of  trial  before  the  admiralty." 

"  I  am  sorry  that  this  is  your  decision,"  returned  the 
Skimmer.  "  What  is  done,  cannot  be  recalled,  though  I 
still  hope  it  may  be  remedied.  My  brigantine  now  lies 
within  a  league  of  this,  and  'twould  be  treachery  to 
deny  it.  Since  it  is  your  opinion,  my  lord,  that  our  con 
tract  is  not  valid,  there  is  little  use  in  its  seal — the  broad 
pieces  may  still  be  serviceable  in  shielding  the  youth  from 
harm." 

"  You  are  as  literal  in  constructions,  Master  Skimmer,  as 
a  school-boy's  version  of  his  Virgil.  There  is  an  idiom  in 
diplomacy,  as  wTell  as  in  language,  and  one  who  treats  so 
sensibly  should  not  be  ignorant  of  its  phrases.  Bless  me, 
sir ;  an  hypothesis  is  not  a  conclusion,  any  more  than  a 
promise  is  a  performance.  That  which  is  advanced  by 
way  of  supposition  is  but  the  ornament  of  reasoning, 
while  your  gold  has  the  more  solid  character  of  demon 
stration.  Our  bargain  is  made." 

The  unsophisticated  mariner  regarded  the  noble  casuist 
a  moment,  in  doubt  whether  to  acquiesce  in  this  conclu 
sion,  or  not ;  but  ere  he  had  decided  on  his  course,  the  win- 


298  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

dows  of  the  room  were  shaken  violently  and  the  heavy 
roar  of  a  piece  of  ordnance  succeeded. 

"  The  morning  gun  !  "  exclaimed  Cornbury,  who  started 
at  the  explosion  with  the  sensitiveness  of  one  unworthily 
employed.  "  No  !  'tis  an  hour  past  the  rising  of  the  sun  !  " 

The  Skimmer  showed  no  yielding  of  the  nerves,  though 
it  was  evident  by  his  attitude  of  thought  and  the  mo 
mentary  fixedness  of  his  eye,  that  he  foresaw  danger  was 
near.  Moving  to  the  window,  he  looked  out  on  the  water, 
and  instantly  drew  back,  like  one  who  wanted  no  farther 
evidence. 

"  Our  bargain,  then,  is  made,"  he  said,  hastily  approach 
ing  the  Viscount,  whose  hand  he  seized  and  wrung  in 
spite  of  the  other's  obvious  reluctance  to  allow  the  famil 
iarity  ;  "  our  bargain  is  made.  Deal  fairly  by  the  youth, 
and  the  deed  will  be  remembered — deal  treacherously,  and 
it  shall  be  revenged  !  " 

For  an  instant  longer  the  Skimmer  held  the  member  of 
the  effeminate  Cornbury  imprisoned  ;  then,  raising  his  cap 
with  a  courtesy  that  appeared  more  in  deference  to  himself 
than  his  companion,  he  turned  on  his  heel,  and  with  a  firm 
but  quick  step  he  left  the  house. 

Carnaby,  who  entered  on  the  instant,  found  his  guest  in 
a  state  between  resentment,  surprise,  and  alarm.  But  ha 
bitual  levity  soon  conquered  other  feelings,  and  finding  him 
self  freed  from  the  presence  of  a  man  who  had  treated  him 
with  so  little  ceremony,  the  ex-governor  shook  his  head 
like  one  accustomed  to  submit  to  evils  he  could  not  ob 
viate,  and  assumed  the  ease  and  indolent  superiority  he 
was  accustomed  to  maintain  in  the  presence  of  the  obse 
quious  grocer. 

"  This  may  be  a  coral  or  a  pearl,  or  any  other  precious 
gem  of  the  ocean,  Master  Carnaby,"  he  said,  unconscious 
himself  that  he  was  in  a  manner  endeavoring  to  cleanse  hi ; 
violated  hand  from  the  touch  it  had  endured,  by  the  use  of 
his  handkerchief,  "  but  it  is  one  on  which  the  salt  water 
hath  left  its  crust.  Truly  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  I  am  never 
again  to  be  blockaded  by  such  a  monster,  or  I  may  better 
say,  harpooned  ;  for  the  familiarity  of  the  boatswain  is 
more  painful  than  any  inventions  of  his  brethren  of  the 
deep  can  prove  to  their  relative  the  leviathan.  Has  the 
clock  told  the  hour?" 

"  'Tis  not  yet  six,  my  lord,  and  there  is  abundant  leisure 
for  your  lordship  to  return  in  season  to  your  lordship's 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  299 

lodgings.  Mrs.  Carnaby  has  dared  to  flatter  herself  that 
your  lordship  will  condescend  to  honor  us  so  far  as  to  taste 
a  dish  of  bohea  under  our  humble  roof." 

"  What  is  the  meaning  of  that  gun,  Master  Carnaby  ?  It 
gave  the  alarm  to  the  smuggler,  as  if  it  had  been  a  sum 
mons  from  Execution  Dock,  or  a  groan  from  the  ghost  of 
Kidd." 

"  I  never  presume  to  think,  my  lord.  I  suppose  it  to  be 
some  pleasure  of  her  Majesty's  officers  in  the  fort ;  and 
when  that  is  the  case,  one  is  quite  certain  that  all  is  proper 
and  very  English,  my  lord." 

"  'Fore  George,  sir,  English  or  Dutch,  it  hath  the  quality 
to  frighten  the  sea-fowl — this  curlew — this  albatross,  from 
his  perch ! " 

"  Upon  my  duty  to  your  lordship,  your  lordship  has  the 
severest  wit  of  any  gentleman  in  her  Majesty's  kingdom  ; 
but  all  the  nobility  and  gentry  are  so  witty  that  it  is  quite 
an  honor  and  an  edification  to  hear  them  !  If  it  is  your 
lordship's  pleasure  I  will  look  out  of  the  window,  my  lord, 
and  see  if  there  be  any  thing  visible." 

"  Do  so,  Master  Carnaby — I  confess  a  little  curiosity  to 
know  what  has  given  the  alarm  to  my  sea-lion — ha  !  do  I 
not  see  the  masts  of  a  ship  moving  above  the  roofs  of  yon 
der  line  of  stores  ? " 

"  Well,  your  lordship  has  the  quickest  eye  !  and  the  hap 
piest  way  of  seeing  things  of  any  nobleman  in  £  England  ! 
Now  I  should  have  stared  a  quarter  of  an  hour  before  I 
thought  of  looking  over  the  roofs  of  those  stores  at  all ; 
and  yet  your  lordship  looks  there  at  the  very  first  glance." 

"  Is  it  a  ship  or  a  brig,  Master  Carnaby — you  have  the 
advantage  of  position,  for  I  would  not  willingly  be  seen — 
speak  quickly,  dolt  ;  ship  or  brig  ? " 

"  My  lord — 'tis  a  brig — or  a  ship — really,  I  must  ask  your 
lordship,  for  I  know  so  little  of  these  things " 

"  Nay,  complaisant  Master  Carnaby — have  an  opinion  of 
your  own  for  on  3  moment,  if  you  please — there  is  smoke 
curling  upward,  behind  those  masts " 

Another  rattling  of  windows,  and  a  second  report,  re 
moved  all  doubts  on  the  subject  of  firing.  At  the  next  in 
stant,  the  bows  of  a  vessel  of  war  appeared  at  the  opening 
of  a  ship-yard  ;  then  came  gun  after  gun  in  view,  until  the 
whole  broadside  of  the  Coquette  was  visible. 

The  Viscount  sought  no  further  solution  of  the  reason 
why  the  Skimmer  had  left  him  so  hurriedly.  Fumbling  a 


300  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

moment  in  a  pocket,  he  drew  forth  a  hand  filled  with  broad 
pieces  of  gold.  These  he  appeared  about  to  lay  upon  the 
table  ;  but,  as  it  were  by  forgetfulness,  he  kept  the  member 
closed,  and  bidding  the  grocer  adieu,  he  left  the  house,  with 
as  firm  a  resolution  as  was  ever  made  by  any  man,  conscious 
of  having  done  both  a  weak  and  a  wicked  action,  of  never 
again  putting  himself  in  familiar  contact  with  so  truckling 
a  miscreant. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

What  care  these  roarers  for  the  name  of  king  ? — Tempest. 

THE  Manhattanese  will  readily  comprehend  the  situation 
of  the  two  vessels  ;  but  those  of  our  countrymen  who  live 
in  distant  parts  of  the  Union  may  be  glad  to  have  the  lo 
calities  explained. 

Though  the  vast  estuary  which  receives  the  Hudson  and 
so  many  minor  streams  is  chiefly  made  by  an  indentation  of 
the  continent,  that  portion  of  it  which  forms  the  port  of 
New  York  is  separated  from  the  ocean  by  the  happy  posi 
tion  of  its  islands.  Of  the  latter  there  are  two,  which  give 
the  general  character  to  the  basin,  and  even  to  a  long  line 
of  coast  ;  while  several,  that  are  smaller,  serve  as  useful  and 
beautiful  accessories  to  the  haven  and  to  the  landscape. 
Between  the  bay  of  Raritan  and  that  of  New  York  there 
are  two  communications,  one  between  the  islands  of  Staten 
and  Nassau,  called  the  Narrows,  which  is  the  ordinary 
ship-channel  of  the  port,  and  the  other  between  Staten  and 
the  main,  which  is  known  by  the  name  of  the  Kills.  It  is 
by  means  of  the  latter  that  vessels  pass  into  the  neighbor 
ing  waters  of  New  Jersey,  and  have  access  to  so  many  of 
the  rivers  of  that  State.  But  while  the  island  of  Staten  does 
so  much  for  the  security  and  facilities  of  the  port,  that"  of 
Nassau  produces  an  effect  on  a  great  extent  of  coast.  After 
sheltering  one  half  of  the  harbor  from  the  ocean,  the  latter 
approaches  so  near  the  continent  as  to  narrow  the  passage 
between  them  to  the  length  of  two  cables,  and  then  stretch 
ing  away  eastward  for  the  distance  of  a  hundred  miles,  it 
forms  a  wide  and  beautiful  sound.  After  passing  a  cluster 
of  islands,  at  a  point  which  lies  forty  leagues  from  the  city, 
by  another  passage,  vessels  can  gain  the  open  sea. 

The  seaman  will  at  once  understand  that  the  tide  of  flood 


THE   WATER-WITCH. 


301 


must  necessarily  flow  into  these  vast  estuaries  from  differ 
ent  directions.  The  current  which  enters  by  Sandy  Hook 
(the  scene  of  so  much  of  this  tale)  flows  westward  into  the 
Jersey  rivers,  northward  into  the  Hudson,  and  eastward 
along  the  arm  of  the  sea  that  lies  between  Nassau  and  the 
Main.  The  current  that  comes  by  the  way  of  Montauk,  or 
the  eastern  extremity  of  Nassau,  raises  the  vast  basin  of  the 
Sound,  fills  the  streams  of  Connecticut,  and  meets  the  west 
ern  tide  at  a  place  called  Throgmorton,  and  within  twenty 
miles  of  the  city. 

As  the  size  of  the  estuaries  is  so  great,  it  is  scarcely  neces 
sary  to  explain  that  the  pressure  of  such  wide  sheets  of 
water  causes  the  currents,  at  all  the  narrow  passes,  to  be 
exceedingly  rapid  ;  since  that  equal  diffusion  of  the  ele 
ment,  which  depends  on  a  natural  law,  must,  wherever  there 
is  a  deficiency  of  space,  be  obtained  by  its  velocity.  There 
is,  consequently,  a  quick  tide  throughout  the  whole  dis 
tance  between  the  harbor  and  Throgmorton  ;  while  it  is 
permitted  to  poetic  license  to  say,  that  at  the  narrowest 
part  of  the  channel,  the  water  darts  by  the  land  like  an 
arrow  parting  from  its  bow.  Owing  to  a  sudden  bend  in 
the  course  of  the  stream,  which  makes  two  right  angles 
within  a  short  distance,  the  dangerous  position  of  many 
rocks  that  are  visible  and  more  that  are  not,  and  the  con 
fusion  produced  by  currents,  counter-currents,  and  eddies, 
this  critical  pass  has  received  the  name  of  "  Hell-Gate."  It 
is  memorable  for  causing  many  a  gentle  bosom  to  palpitate 
with  a  terror  that  is  little  exaggerated  by  the  boding  name, 
though  it  is  constantly  the  cause  of  pecuniary  losses,  and 
has  in  many  instances  been  the  source  of  much  personal 
danger.  It  was  here  that  a  British  frigate  was  lost,  during 
the  war  of  the  Revolution,  in  consequence  of  having  struck 
a  rock  called  "  the  Pot,"  the  blow  causing  the  ship  to  fill 
and  to  founder  so  suddenly,  that  even  some  of  her  people 
are  said  to  have  been  drowned.  A  similar  but  a  greatly 
lessened  effect  is  produced  in  the  passage  among  the  isl 
ands,  by  which  vessels  gain  the  ocean  at  the  eastern  ex 
tremity  of  the  Sound — though  the  magnitude  of  the  latter 
sheet  of  water  is  so  much  greater  than  that  of  Raritan  Bay 
and  the  harbor  of  New  York,  that  the  force  of  its  pressure 
is  diminished  by  a  corresponding  width  in  the  outlets. 
With  these  explanations,  we  shall  return  to  the  thread  of 
the  narrative. 

When  the  person,  who  has  so  long  been  known  in  our 


302  THE   WATER- WITCH. 

pages  by  the  nom  de  guerre  of  Tiller,  gained  the  open 
street,  he  had  a  better  opportunity  of  understanding  the 
nature  of  the  danger  which  so  imminently  pressed  upon  the 
brigantine.  With  a  single  glance  at  the  symmetrical  spars 
and  broad  yards  of  the  ship  that  was  sweeping  past  the 
town,  he  knew  her  to  be  the  Coquette.  The  little  flag  at 
her  fore-topgallant-mast  sufficiently  explained  the  meaning 
of  the  gun  ;  for  the  two,  in  conjunction  with  the  direction 
the  ship  was  steering,  told  him  in  language  that  any  sea 
man  could  comprehend,  that  she  demanded  a  Hell-Gate 
pilot.  By  the  time  the  Skimmer  reached  the  end  of 
a  lone  wharf,  where  a  light  and  swift  rowing  boat 
awaited  his  return,  the  second  report  bespoke  the  im 
patience  of  his  pursuers  to  be  furnished  with  the  necessary 
guide. 

Though  the  navigation  in  this  republic,  coastwise,  now 
employs  a  tonnage  equalling  that  used  in  all  the  commerce 
of  any  other  nation  of  Christendom,  England  alone  ex- 
cepted,  it  \vas  of  no  great  amount  at  the  commencement  of 
the  eighteenth  century.  A  single  ship,  lying  at  the  wharves, 
and  two  or  three  brigs  and  schooners  at  anchor  in  the 
rivers,  composed  the  whole  show  of  sea-vessels  then  in 
port.  To  these  were  to  be  added  some  twenty  smaller 
coasters  and  river-craft,  most  of  whom  were  the  shapeless 
and  slow-moving  masses  which  then  plied,  in  voyages  of  a 
month's  duration,  between  the  two  principal  towns  of  the 
colony.  The  appeal  of  the  Coquette,  therefore,  at  that 
hour  and  in  that  age,  was  not  likely  to  be  very  quickly  an 
swered. 

The  ship  had  got  fairly  into  the  arms  of  the  sea  which 
separates  the  island  of  Manhattan  from  that  of  Nassau,  and 
though  it  wras  not  then,  as  now,  narrowed  by  artificial 
means,  its  tide  was  so  strong  as,  aided  by  the  breeze,  to 
float  her  swiftly  onward.  A  third  gun  shook  the  windows 
of  the  city,  causing  many  a  worthy  burgher  to  thrust  his 
head  through  his  casement ;  yet  no  boat  was  seen  pulling 
from  the  land,  nor  was  there  any  other  visible  sign  that  the 
signal  would  be  speedily  obeyed.  Still  the  royal  cruiser 
stood  steadily  on,  with  sail  packed  above  sail,  and  every 
sheet  of  canvas  spread,  that  the  direction  of  a  wind, 
which  blew  a  little  forward  of  the  beam,  would  allow. 

"  We  must  pull  for  our  own  safety  and  that  of  the  brig 
antine,  my  men,"  said  the  Skimmer,  springing  into  his 
boat  and  seizing  the  tiller.  "  A  quick  stroke,  and  a  strong ! 


THE   WATER- WITCH.  303 

here  is  no  time  for  holiday  feathering,  or  your  man-of-war 
jerk  !  Give  way,  boys  ;  give  way,  with  a  will,  and  to 
gether  ! " 

These  were  sounds  that  had  often  saluted  the  ears  of 
men  engaged  in  the  hazardous  pursuit  of  his  crew.  The 
oars  fell  into  the  water  at  the  same  moment,  and,  quick  as 
thought,  the  light  bark  was  in  the  strength  of  the  current. 

The  short  range  of  wharves  was  soon  passed,  and,  ere 
many  minutes,  the  boat  was  gliding  up  with  the  tide,  be 
tween  the  bluffs  of  Long  Island  and  the  projection  which 
forms  the  angle  on  that  part  of  Manhattan.  Here  the 
Skimmer  was  induced  to  sheer  more  into  the  centre  of  the 
passage,  in  order  to  avoid  the  eddies  formed  by  the  point, 
and  to  preserve  the  whole  benefit  of  the  current.  As  the 
boat  approached  Corlaer's,  his  eye  was  anxiously  examin 
ing  the  wider  reach  of  the  water  that  began  to  open  above, 
in  quest  of  his  brigantine.  Another  gun  was  heard.  A 
moment  after  the  report  there  followed  the  whistling  of  a 
shot ;  then  succeeded  the  rebound  on  the  water  and  the 
glittering  particles  of  the  spray.  The  ball  glanced  a  few 
hundred  feet  farther,  and,  skipping  from  place  to  place,  it 
soon  sank  into  the  element. 

"  This  Mr.  Ludlow  is  disposed  to  kill  two  birds  with  the 
same  stone,"  coolly  observed  the  Skimmer,  not  even  bend 
ing  his  head  aside  to  note  the  position  of  the  ship.  "  He 
wakes  the  burghers  of  the  town  with  his  noise,  while  he 
menaces  our  boat  with  his  shot.  We  are  seen,  my  friends, 
and  have  no  dependence  but  our  own  manhood,  with  some 
assistance  from  the  lady  of  the  sea-green  mantle.  A' quicker 
stroke,  and  a  strong  !  You  have  the  Queen's  cruiser  be 
fore  you,  Master  Coil ;  does  she  show  boats  on  her  quar 
ters,  or  are  the  davits  empty  ? " 

The  seaman  addressed  pulled  the  stroke-oar  of  the  boat, 
and  consequently  he  faced  the  Coquette.  Without  in  the 
least  relaxing  his  exertions,  he  rolled  his  eyes  over  the  ship, 
and  answered  with  a  steadiness  that  showed  him  to  be  a 
man  accustomed  to  situations  of  hazard  : 

"  His  boat-falls  are  as  loose  as  a  mermaid's  locks,  your 
honor,  and  he  shows  few  men  in  his  tops  ;  there  are  enough 
of  the  rogues  left,  however,  to  give  us  another  shot." 

"  Her  Majesty's  servants  are  early  awake  this  morning. 
Another  stroke  or  two,  hearts  of  oak,  and  we  throw  them 
behind  the  land  !  " 

A  second  shot  fell  into  the  water  just  without  the  blades 


304  THE  WATER- WITCH. 

of  the  oars ;  then  the  boat,  obedient  to  its  helm,  whirled 
round  the  point,  and  the  ship  was  no  longer  visible.  As 
the  cruiser  was  shut  in  by  the  formation  of  the  land,  the 
brigantine  came  into  view  on  the  opposite  side  of  Corlaer's. 
Notwithstanding  the  calmness  that  reigned  in  the  features 
of  the  Skimmer,  one  who  studied  his  countenance  closely 
might  have  seen  an  expression  of  concern  shadowing  his 
manly  face,  as  the  Water-Witch  met  his  eye.  Still  he  spoke 
not,  concealing  his  uneasiness,  if  in  truth  he  felt  any,  from 
those  whose  exertions  were  at  that  moment  of  the  least 
importance.  As  the  crew  of  the  expecting  vessel  saw  their 
boat,  they  altered  their  course,  and  the  two  were  soon  to 
gether. 

"  Why  is  that  signal  still  flying  ?  "  demanded  the  Skim 
mer,  the  instant  his  foot  touched  the  deck  of  his  brigan 
tine,  and  pointing,  as  he  spoke,  at  the  little  flag  that 
fluttered  at  the  head  of  the  forward  mast. 

"We  keep  it  aloft  to  hasten  off  the  pilot,"  was  the  an 
swer. 

"  Has  not  the  treacherous  knave  kept  faith  ?"  exclaimed 
the  Skimmer,  half  recoiling  in  surprise.  He  has  my  gold, 
and  in  return  I  hold  fifty  of  his  worthless  promises — ha  ! — 
the  laggard  is  in  yon  skiff  ;  wear  the  brig  round  and  meet 
him,  for  moments  are  as  precious  now  as  water  in  a 
desert." 

The  helm  was  a-weather,  and  the  lively  brigantine  had 
already  turned  more  than  half  aside,  when  another  gun 
drew  every  eye  toward  the  point.  The  smoke  was  seen 
rising  above  the  bend  of  the  land,  and  presently  the  head- 
sails,  followed  by  all  the  hull  and  spars  of  the  Coquette, 
came  into  view. 

At  that  instant  a  voice  from  forward  announced  that  the 
pilot  had  turned,  and  was  rowing  with  all  his  might  to 
ward  the  shore.  The  imprecations  that  were  heaped  on 
the  head  of  the  delinquent  were  many  and  deep,  but  it 
was  no  time  for  indecision.  The  two  vessels  were  now 
not  half  a  mile  apart,  and  now  was  the  moment  to  show  the 
qualities  of  the  Water-Witch.  Her  helm  was  shifted  ;  and, 
as  if  conscious  herself  of  the  danger  that  threatened  her 
liberty,  the  beautiful  fabric  came  sweeping  up  to  her 
course,  and,  inclining  to  the  breeze,  with  one  heavy  flap  of 
the  canvas,  she  glided  ahead  with  her  wonted  ease.  But 
the  royal  cruiser  was  a  ship  of  ten  thousand  !  For  twenty 
minutes,  the  nicest  eye  might  have  been  at  a  loss  to  say 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  30$ 

which  lost  or  gained,  so  equally  did  the  pursuer  and  the 
pursued  hold  on  their  way.  As  the  brigantine  was  the 
first,  however,  to  reach  the  narrow  passage  formed  by 
Blackwell's,  her  motion  was  favored  by  the  increasing 
power  of  the  stream.  It  would  seem  that  this  change,  slight 
as  it  was,  did  not  escape  the  vigilance  of  those  in  the  Co 
quette  ;  for  the  gun,  which  had  been  silent  so  long,  again 
sent  forth  its  flame  and  smoke.  Four  discharges,  in  less 
than  so  many  minutes,  threatened  a  serious  disadvantage 
to  the  freetraders.  Shot  after  shot  passed  among  their 
spars,  and  opened  wide  rents  in  the  canvas.  A  few  more 
such  assaults  would  deprive  them  of  their  means  of  mo 
tion.  Aware  of  the  crisis,  the  accomplished  and  prompt 
seaman  who  governed  her  movements  needed  but  an  in 
stant  to  form  his  decision. 

The  brigantine  was  now  nearly  up  with  the  head  of 
Blackwell's.  It  was  half-flood  on  a  spring  tide.  The  reef 
that  projects  from  the  western  end  of  the  island  far  into  the 
reach  below,  was  nearly  covered  ;  but  still  enough  was 
visible  to  show  the  nature  of  the  barrier  it  presented  to  a 
passage  from  one  shore  to  the  other.  There  was  a  rock, 
near  the  island  itself,  which  lifted  its  black  head  high 
above  the  water.  Between  this  dark  mass  of  stone  and 
the  land,  there  was  an  opening  of  some  twenty  fathoms  in 
width.  The  Skimmer  saw  by  the  even  and  unbroken  waves 
that  rolled  through  the  passage,  that  the  bottom  lay  less 
near  to  the  surface  of  the  water  in  that  opening,  than  at 
any  other  point  along  the  line  of  the  reef.  He  com 
manded  the  helm  a-weather  once  more,  and  calmly  trusted 
to  the  issue. 

Not  a  man  on  board  the  brigantine  was  aware  that  the 
shot  of  the  royal  cruiser  was  whistling  between  their 
masts,  and  damaging  their  gear,  as  the  little  vessel  glided 
into  the  narrow  opening.  A  single  blow  on  the  rock 
would  have  been  destruction,  and  the  lesser  danger  was 
entirely  absorbed.  But  when  the  passage  was  cleared, 
and  the  true  stream  in  the  other  channel  gained,  a  com 
mon  shout  proclaimed  both  the  weight  of  their  apprehen 
sion  and  their  relief.  In  another  minute  the  head  of 
Blackwell's  protected  them  from  the  shot  of  their  pur 
suers. 

The  length  of  the  reef  prevented  the  Coquette  from 
changing  her  direction,  and  her  draught  of  water  closed 
the  passage  between  the  rock  and  the  island.  But  the 

20 


306  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

deviation  from  the  straight  course,  and  the  passage  of  the 
eddies,  had  enabled  the  ship,  which  came  steadily  on,  to 
range  up  nearly  abeam  of  her  chase.  Both  vessels,  though 
separated  by  the  long,  narrow  island,  were  now  fairly  in 
the  force  of  those  currents  which  glide  so  swiftly  through 
the  confined  passages.  A  sudden  thought  glanced  on  the 
mind  of  the  Skimmer,  and  he  lost  no  time  in  attempting 
to  execute  its  suggestion.  Again  the  helm  was  put  up, 
and  the  image  of  the  sea-green  lady  was  seen  struggling 
to  stem  the  rapid  waters.  Had  this  effort  been  crowned 
with  success,  the  triumph  of  her  followers  would  have  been 
complete  ;  since  the  brigantine  might  have  reached  some 
of  the  eddies  of  the  reach  below,  and  leaving  her  heavier 
pursuer  to  contend  with  the  strength  of  the  tide,  she  would 
have  gained  the  open  sea  by  the  route  over  which  she  had 
so  lately  passed.  But  a  single  minute  of  trial  convinced 
the  bold  mariner  that  his  decision  came  too  late.  The 
wind  was  insufficient  to  pass  the  gorge  ;  and,  environed  by 
the  land,  with  a  tide  that  grew  stronger  at  each  moment, 
he  saw  that  delay  would  be  destruction.  Once  more  the 
light  vessel  yielded  to  the  helm,  and,  with  everything  set 
to  the  best  advantage,  she  darted  along  the  passage. 

In  the  meantime  the  Coquette  had  not  been  idle.  Borne 
on  by  the  breeze,  and  floating  with  the  current,  she  had 
even  gained  upon  her  chase  ;  and  as  her  lofty  and  light 
sails  drew  strongest  over  the  land,  there  was  every  pros 
pect  of  her  first  reaching  the  eastern  end  of  Blackwell's. 
Ludlow  saw  his  advantage,  and  made  his  preparations  ac 
cordingly. 

There  needs  little  explanation  to  render  the  circumstan 
ces  which  brought  the  royal  cruiser  up  to  town,  intelligi 
ble  to  the  reader.  As  the  morning  approached,  she  had 
entered  more  deeply  into  the  bay  ;  and  when  the  light 
permitted,  those  on  board  her  had  been  able  to  see  that 
no  vessel  lay  beneath  the  hills,  nor  in  any  of  the  more  re 
tired  places  of  the  estuary.  A  fisherman,  however,  re 
moved  the  last  of  their  doubts,  by  reporting  that  he  had 
seen  a  vessel,  whose  description  answered  that  of  the 
Water- Witch,  passing  the  Narrows  in  the  middle  watch. 
He  added  that  a  swiftly-rowing  boat  was,  shortly  after, 
seen  pulling  in  the  same  direction.  This  clew  had  been 
sufficient.  Ludlow  macle  a  signal  for  his  own  boats  to  close 
the  passage  of  the  Kills  and  the  Narrows,  and  then,  as  has 
been  seen,  he  steered  directly  into  the  harbor. 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  307 

When  Ludlow  found  himself  in  the  position  just  de 
scribed,  he  turned  all  his  attention  to  the  double  object  of 
preserving  his  own  vessel  and  arresting  that  of  the  free 
trader.  Though  there  was  still  a  possibility  of  damaging 
the  spars  of  the  brigantine  by  firing  across  the  land,  the 
feebleness  of  his  own  crew,  reduced  as  it  was  by  more  than 
half  its  numbers,  the  danger  of  doing  injury  to  the  farm 
houses  that  were  here  and  there  placed  along  the  low 
cliffs,  and  the  necessity  of  preparation  to  meet  the  critical 
pass  ahead,  united  to  prevent  the  attempt.  The  ship  was 
no  sooner  fairly  entered  into  the  pass  between  Blackwell's 
and  Nassau,  than  he  issued  an  order  to  secure  the  guns 
that  had  been  used,  and  to  clear  away  the  anchors. 

"Cock-bill  the  bowers,  sir,"  he  hastily  added,  in  his 
orders  to  Trysail.  "We  are  in  no  condition  to  sport  with 
stock-and-fluke  ;  have  everything  ready  to  let  go  at  a 
word  ;  and  see  the  grapnels  ready — we  will  throw  them 
aboard  the  smuggler  as  we  close,  and  take  him  alive. 
Once  fast  to  the  chain,  we  are  yet  strong  enough  to  haul 
him  in  under  our  scuppers,  and  to  capture  him  with  the 
pumps  !  Is  the  signal  still  abroad  for  a  pilot  ?" 

"We  keep  it  flying,  sir,  but  'twill  be  a  swift  boat  that 
overhauls  us  in  this  tide's-wray.  The  Gate  begins  at  yon 
der  bend  in  the  land,  Captain  Ludlow ! " 

"  Keep  it  abroad  ;  the  lazy  rogues  are  sometimes  loiter 
ing  in  the  cove  this  side  the  rocks,  and  chance  may  throw 
one  of  them  aboard  us  as  we  pass.  See  to  the  anchors,  sir  -, 
the  ship  is  driving  through  this  channel  like  a  race-horse 
under  the  wThip  ! " 

The  men  were  hurriedly  piped  to  this  duty,  while  their 
young  commander  took  his  station  on  the  poop,  now  anx 
iously  examining  the  courses  of  the  tides  and  the  positions 
of  the  eddies,  and  now  turning  his  eyes  toward  the  brigan 
tine,  whose  upper  spars  and  white  sails  were  to  be  seen,  at 
the  distance  of  two  hundred  fathoms,  glancing  past  the 
trees  of  the  island.  But  miles  and  minutes  seemed  like 
rods  and  moments  in  that  swift  current.  Trysail  had  just 
reported  the  anchors  ready,  when  the  ship  swept  up  abreast 
of  the  Cove,  where  the  vessels  often  seek  an  anchorage,  to 
awrait  favorable  moments  for  entering  the  Gate.  Ludlow 
saw,  at  a  glance,  that  the  place  was  entirely  empty.  For 
an  instant  he  yielded  to  the  heavy  responsibility — a  respon 
sibility  before  which  a  seaman  sooner  shrinks  than  before 
any  other — that  of  charging  himself  with  the  duty  of  the 


308  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

pilot ;  and  he  thought  of  running  into  the  anchorage  for 
shelter.  But  another  glimpse  at  the  spars  of  the  brigantine 
caused  him  to  waver. 

"  We  are  near  the  Gate,  sir ! "  cried  Trysail,  in  a  voice 
that  was  full  of  warning. 

"  Yon  daring  mariner  stands  on  !  " 

"  The  rogue  sails  his  vessel  without  the  Queen's  permis 
sion,  Captain  Ludlow.  They  tell  me  this  is  a  passage  that 
has  been  well  named  !  " 

"  I  have  been  through  it,  and  will  vouch  for  its  character 
— he  shows  no  signs  of  anchoring  !  " 

"  If  the  woman  who  points  his  course  can  carry  him 
through  safely,  she  deserves  her  title.  We  are  passing  the 
Cove,  Captain  Ludlow  !  " 

"  We  are  past  it ! "  returned  Ludlow,  breathing  heavily. 
"  Let  there  be  no  whisper  in  the  ship — pilot  or  no  pilot,  we 
now  sink  or  swim  !  " 

Trysail  had  ventured  to  remonstrate,  while  there  was  a 
possibility  of  avoiding  the  danger  ;  but,  like  his  commander, 
he  saw  that  all  depended  now  on  their  own  coolness  and 
care.  He  passed  busily  among  the  crew  ;  saw  that  each 
brace  and  bowline  was  manned  ;  cautioned  a  few  young  of 
ficers  who  continued  on  board  to  vigilance  ;  and  then 
awaited  the  orders  of  his  superior  with  the  composure  that 
is  necessary  to  a  seaman  in  the  moment  of  trial.  Ludlow 
himself,  while  he  felt  the  load  of  responsibility  he  had  as 
sumed,  succeeded  equally  well  in  maintaining  an  outward 
calm.  The  ship  was  irretrievably  in  the  Gate,  and  no 
human  power  could  retrace  the  step.  At  such  moments 
of  intense  anxiety,  the  human  mind  is  wont  to  seek  sup 
port  in  the  opinions  of  others.  Notwithstanding  the  in 
creasing  velocity  and  the  critical  condition  of  his  own 
vessel,  Ludlow  cast  a  glance,  in  order  to  ascertain  the  de 
termination  of  the  Skimmer  of  the  Seas.  Blackwell's  was 
already  behind  them,  and  as  the  two  currents  were  again 
united,  the  brigantine  had  luffed  up  into  the  entrance  of 
the  dangerous  passage,  and  now  followed  within  two  hun 
dred  feet  of  the  Coquette,  directly  in  her  wake.  The  bold 
and  manly-looking  mariner,  who  controlled  her,  stood  be 
tween  the  knight-heads,  just  above  the  image  of  his  pre 
tended  mistress,  where  he  examined  the'  foaming  reefs,  the 
whirling  eddies,  and  the  varying  currents,  with  folded  arms 
and  a  riveted  eye.  A  glance  was  exchanged  between  the 
two  officers,  and  the  freetrader  raised  his  sea-cap.  Ludlow 


THE  WATER- WITCIL  309 

was  too  courteous  not  to  return  the  salutation,  then  all  his 
senses  were  engrossed  by  the  care  of  his  ship.  A  rock  lay 
before  them,  over  which  the  water  broke  in  a  loud  and  un 
ceasing  roar.  For  an  instant  it  seemed  that  the  vessel 
could  not  avoid  the  danger ;  then  it  was  already  past. 

"  Brace  up  !  "  said  Ludlow,  in  the  calm  tones  that  de 
note  a  forced  tranquillity. 

"  Luff !  "  called  out  the  Skimmer,  so  quickly  as  to  show 
that  he  took  the  movements  of  the  cruiser  for  his  guide. 
The  ship  came  closer  to  the  wind,  but  the  sudden  bend  in 
the  stream  no  longer  permitted  her  to  steer  in  a  direct  line 
with  its  course.  Though  drifting  to  windward  with  vast 
rapidity,  her  way  through  the  water,  which  was  greatly  in 
creased  by  the  contrary  actions  of  the  wind  and  tide, 
caused  the  cruiser  to  shoot  across  the  current  ;  while  a 
reef,  over  which  the  water  madly  tumbled,  lay  immediately 
in  her  course.  The  danger  seemed  too  imminent  for  the 
observances  of  nautical  etiquette,  and  Trysail  called  aloud 
that  the  ship  must  be  thrown  back,  or  she  was  lost. 

"  Hard-a-lee  ! "  shouted  Ludlow,  in  the  strong  voice  of 
authority.  "  Up  with  every  thing — tacks  and  sheets  ! — • 
main-topsail  haul  !  " 

The  ship  seemed  as  conscious  of  her  danger  as  any  on  her 
decks.  The  bows  whirled  away  from  the  foaming  reef,  and 
as  the  sails  caught  the  breeze  on  their  opposite  surfaces, 
they  aided  in  bringing  her  head  in  the  contrary  direction. 
A  minute  had  scarcely  passed  ere  she  was  back,  and  in  the 
next  she  was  about  and  full  again.  The  intensity  of  the 
brief  exertion  kept  Trysail  fully  employed  ;  but  no  sooner 
had  he  leisure  to  look  ahead  than  he  again  called  aloud — 

"  Here  is  another  roarer  under  her  bows  ;  luff,  sir,  luff, 
or  we  are  upon  it  !  " 

"  Hard  down  your  helm !  "  once  again  came  in  deep 
tones  from  Ludlow  ;  "  let  fly  your  sheets — throw  aback,  for 
ward  and  aft — away  with  the  yards,  with  a  will,  men  !  " 

There  was  need  for  all  these  precautions.  Though  the 
ship  had  so  happily  escaped  the  danger  of  the  first  reef,  a 
turbulent  and  roaring  caldron  in  the  water,  which,  as 
representing  the  element  in  ebullition,  is  called  "  the  Pot," 
lay  so  directly  before  her  as  to  render  the  danger  appar 
ently  inevitable.  But  the  power  of  the  canvas  was  not  lost 
on  this  trying  occasion.  The  forward  motion  of  the  ship 
diminished,  and  as  the  current  still  swept  her  swiftly  to 
windward,  her  bows  did  not  enter  the  rolling  waters  until 


310  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

the  hidden  rocks  which  caused  the  commotion  had  been 
passed.  The  yielding  vessel  rose  and  fell  in  the  agitated 
water,  as  if  in  homage  to  the  whirlpool  ;  but  the  deep  keel 
was  unharmed. 

"  If  the  ship  shoot  ahead  twice  her  length  more,  her 
bows  will  touch  the  eddy  ! "  exclaimed  the  vigilant  master. 

Ludlow  looked  around  him  for  a  single  moment  in  in 
decision.  The  waters  were  whirling  and  roaring  on  every 
side,  and  the  sails  began  to  lose  their  power,  as  the  ship 
drew  near  the  bluff  which  forms  the  second  angle  in  this 
critical  pass.  He  saw,  by  objects  on  the  land,  that  he  still 
approached  the  shore,  and  he  had  recourse  to  the  seaman's 
last  expedient. 

"  Let  go  both  anchors  ! "  was  the  final  order. 

The  fall  of  the  massive  iron  into  the  water  was  suc 
ceeded  by  the  rumbling  of  the  cable.  The  first  effort  to 
check  the  progress  of  the  vessel  appeared  to  threaten  dis 
solution  to  the  whole  fabric,  which  trembled  under  the 
shock  from  its  mastheads  to  the  keel.  But  the  enormous 
rope  again  yielded,  and  smoke  was  seen  rising  round  the 
wood  which  held  it.  The  ship  whirled  with  the  sudden 
check,  and  sheered  wildly  in  toward  the  shore.  Met  by 
the  helm,  and  again  checked  by  the  efforts  of  the  crew, 
she  threatened  to  defy  restraint.  There  was  an  instant 
when  all  on  board  expected  to  hear  the  cable  snap  ;  but 
the  upper  sails  filled,  and  as  the  wind  was  now  brought 
over  the  taffrail,  the  force  of  the  current  was  in  a  great 
degree  met  by  that  of  the  breeze. 

The  ship  answered  her  helm  and  became  stationary, 
while  the  water  foamed  against  her  cutwater,  as  if  she 
•were  driven  ahead  with  the  power  of  a  brisk  breeze. 

The  time,  from  the  moment  when  the  Coquette  entered 
the  Gate,  to  that  when  she  anchored  below  "  the  Pot." 
though  the  distance  was  near  a  mile,  seemed  but  a  minute. 
Certain,  however,that  his  ship  was  not  checked,  the  thoughts 
of  Ludlow  returned  to  their  other  duties  wTith  the  quickness 
of  lightning. 

"Clear  away  the  grapnels,"  he  eagerly  cried,  "stand  by 
to  heave,  and  haul  in  ! — heave  !  " 

But,  that  the  reader  may  better  comprehend  the  motive 
of  this  sudden  order,  he  must  consent  to  return  to  the  en 
trance  of  the  dangerous  passage,  and  accompany  the  Water- 
Witch  also,  in  her  hazardous  experiment  to  get  through 
without  a  pilot. 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  311 

The  abortive  attempt  of  the  brigantine  to  stem  the  tide  at 
the  western  end  of  BlackwelFs  will  be  remembered.  It  had 
no  other  effect  than  to  place  her  pursuer  more  in  advance,ancl 
to  convince  her  own  commander  that  he  had  now  no  other 
resource  than  to  continue  his  course  ;  for,  had  he  anchored, 
boats  would  have  insured  his  capture.  When  the  two  ves 
sels  appeared  off  the  eastern  end  of  the  island,  the  Coquette 
was  ahead — a  fact  that  the  experienced  freetrader  did  not 
at  all  regret.  He  profited  by  the  circumstance  to  follow  her 
movements,  and  to  make  a  favorable  entrance  into  the  un 
certain  currents.  To  him,  Hell-Gate  was  known  only  by 
its  fearful  reputation  among  mariners  ;  and  unless  he  might 
avail  himself  of  the  presence  of  the  cruiser,  he  had  no  other 
guide  than  his  own  general  knowledge  of  the  power  of  the 
element. 

When  the  Coquette  had  tacked,  the  calm  and  observant 
Skimmer  was  satisfied  with  throwing  his  head-sails  flat  to 
the  mast.  From  that  instant,  the  brigantine  lay  floating  in 
the  current,  neither  advancing  nor  receding  a  foot,  and 
always  keeping  her  position  at  a  safe  distance  from  the  ship 
that  was  so  adroitly  made  to  answer  the  purposes  of  a 
beacon.  The  sails  were  watched  with  the  closest  care,  and 
so  nicely  was  the  delicate  machine  tended,  that  it  would 
have  been,  at  any  moment,  in  her  people's  power  to  have 
lessened  her  way,  by  turning  to  the  stream.  The  Coquette 
Was  followed  till  she  anchored,  and  the  call  on  board  the 
cruiser  to  heave  the  grapnels  had  been  given,  because  the 
brigantine  was  apparently  floating  directly  down  on  her 
broadside. 

When  the  grapnels  were  hove  from  the  royal  cruiser,  the 
freetrader  stood  on  the  low  poop  of  his  little  vessel,  within 
fifty  feet  of  him  who  had  issued  the  order.  There  was  a 
smile  of  indifference  on  his  firm  mouth,  while  he  silently 
waved  a  hand  to  his  own  crew.  The  signal  was  obeyed  by 
bracing  round  their  yards,  and  suffering  all  the  canvas  to 
fill.  The  brigantine  shot  quickly  ahead,  and  the  useless 
irons  fell  heavily  into  the  water. 

"  Many  thanks  for  your  pilotage,  Captain  Ludlow  !  "  cried 
the  daring  and  successful  mariner  of  the  shawl,  as  his  ves 
sel,  borne  on  by  wind  and  current,  receded  rapidly  from 
the  cruiser.  "  You  will  find  me  off  Montauk  ;  for  affairs 
still  keep  us  on  the  coast.  Our  lady  has,  however,  put  on 
the  blue  mantle  ;  and  ere  many  settings  of  the  sun,  we 
shall  look  for  deep  water.  Take  good  care  of  her  Majesty's 


312  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

ship,  I  pray  thee,  for  she  has  neither  a  more  beautiful  nor  a 
faster !  " 

One  thought  succeeded  another  with  the  tumult  of  a  tor 
rent,  in  the  mind  of  Ludlow.  As  the  brigantine  lay  directly 
under  his  broadside,  the  first  impulse  was  to  use  his  guns  ; 
at  the  next  moment  he  was  conscious  that  before  they  could 
be  cleared  distance  would  render  them  useless.  His  lips 
had  nearly  parted  with  intent  to  order  the  cables  cut,  but 
he  remembered  the  speed  of  the  brigantine,  and  hesitated. 
A  sudden  freshening  of  the  breeze  decided  his  course. 
Finding  that  the  ship  was  enabled  to  keep  her  station,  he 
ordered  the  crew  to  thrust  the  whole  of  the  enormous  ropes 
through  the  hawse-holes ;  and,  freed  from  the  restraint,  ho 
abandoned  the  anchors,  until  an  opportunity  to  reclaim 
them  should  offer. 

The  operation  of  slipping  the  cables  consumed  several 
minutes  ;  and  when  the  Coquette,  with  everything  set,  was 
again  steering  in  pursuit,  the  Water- Witch  was  already  be 
yond  the  reach  of  her  guns.  Both  vessels,  however,  held 
on  their  .way,  keeping  as  near  as  possible  to  the  centre  of 
the  stream,  and  trusting  more  to  fortune,  than  to  any 
knowledge  of  the  channel,  for  safety. 

When  passing  the  two  small  islands  that  lie  at  no  great 
distance  from  the  Gate,  a  boat  was  seen  moving  toward  the 
royal  cruiser.  A  man  in  it  pointed  to  the  signal,  which  was 
still  flying,  and  offered  his  sen-ices. 

"  Tell  me,"  demanded  Ludlow,  eagerly,  "  has  yonder 
brigantine  taken  a  pilot  ?  " 

"  By  her  movements,  I  judge  not.  She  brushed  the 
sunken  rock,  off  the  mouth  of  Flushing  bay  ;  and  as  she 
passed,  I  heard  the  song  of  the  lead.  I  should  have  gone 
on  board  myself,  but  the  fellow  rather  flies  than  sails  ;  and 
as  for  signals,  he  seems  to  mind  none  but  his  own." 

"  Bring  us  up  with  him,  and  fifty  guineas  is  thy  reward  !  " 

The  slow-moving  pilot,  who  in  truth  had  just  awaked 
from  a  refreshing  sleep,  opened  his  eyes,  and  seemed  to 
gather  a  new  impulse  from  the  promise.  When  his  ques 
tions  wTere  asked  and  answered,  he  began  deliberately  to 
count  on  his  fingers  all  the  chances  that  still  existed  of  a 
vessel,  whose  crew  was  ignorant  of  the  navigation,  falling 
into  their  hands. 

"  Admitting  that,  by  keeping  mid-channel,  she  goes  clear 
of  White  Stone  and  Frogs,"  he  said,  giving  to  Throgmor- 
ton's  its  vulgar  name,  "  he  must  be  a  wizard,  to  know  that 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  313 

the  Stepping-Stones  lie  directly  across  his  course,  and  that 
a  vessel  must  steer  away  northerly,  or  bring  up  on  rocks 
that  will  as  surely  hold  him  as  if  he  were  built  there.  Then 
he  runs  his  chance  for  the  Excutioners,  which  are  as 
prettily  placed  as  needs  be,  to  make  our  trade  flourish  ; 
besides  the  Middle  Ground  farther  east,  though  I  count 
but  little  on  that,  having  often  tried  to  find  it  myself,  with 
out  success.  Courage,  noble  Captain  !  if  the  fellow  be  the 
man  you  say,  we  shall  get  a  nearer  look  at  him  before  the 
sun  sets  ;  for  certainly  he  who  has  run  the  Gate  without  a 
pilot  in  safety,  has  had  as  much  good  luck  as  can  fall  to  his 
share  in  one  day." 

The  opinion  of  the  East  River  Branch  proved  erroneous. 
Notwithstanding  the  hidden  perils  by  which  she  was  en 
vironed,  the  Water-Witch  continued  her  course,  with  a 
speed  that  increased  as  the  wind  rose  with  the  sun,  and 
with  an  impunity  from  harm  that  amazed  all  who  were  in 
the  secret  of  her  situation.  Off  Throgmorton's  there  was, 
in  truth,  a  danger  that  might  even  have  baffled  the  sagacity 
of  the  followers  of  the  mysterious  lady,  had  they  not  been 
aided  by  accident.  This  is  the  point  where  the  straight 
ened  arm  of  the  sea  expands  into  the  basin  of  the  Sound 
A  broad  and  inviting  passage  lies  directly  before  the  nav 
igator,  while,  like  the  flattering  prospects  of  life,  number 
less  hidden  obstacles  are  in  wait  to  arrest  the  unheeding 
and  ignorant. 

The  Skimmer  of  the  Seas  was  deeply  practised  in  all  the 
intricacies  and  dangers  of  shoals  and  rocks.  Most  of  his 
life  had  been  passed  in  threading  the  one  or  in  avoiding  the 
other.  So  keen  and  quick  had  his  eye  become,  in  detect 
ing  the  presence  of  any  of  those  signs  which  forewarn  the 
mariner  of  danger,  that  a  ripple  on  the  surface,  or  a  deeper 
shade  in  the  color  of  the  water,  rarely  escaped  his  vigilance. 

Seated  on  the  topsail-yard  of  his  brigantine,  he  had  over 
looked  the  passage  from  the  moment  they  were  through 
the  Gate,  and  issued  his  mandates  to  those  below  with  a 
precision  and  promptitude  that  were  not  surpassed  by  the 
trained  conductor  of  the  Coquette  himself.  But  when  his 
sight  embraced  the  wide  reach  of  water  that  lay  in  front, 
as  his  little  vessel  swept  round  the  headland  of  Throgmor- 
ton,  he  believed  there  no  longer  existed  a  reason  for  so 
much  care.  Still  there  was  a  motive  for  hesitation.  A  heav 
ily-moulded  and  dull-sailing  coaster  was  going  eastward 
not  a  league  ahead  of  the  brigantine,  while  one  of  the  light 


3 14  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

sloops  of  those  waters  was  coming  westward  still  farther  in 
the  distance.  Notwithstanding  the  wind  was  favorable  to 
each  alike,  both  vessels  had  deviated  from  the  direct  line, 
and  were  steering  toward  a  common  centre,  near  an  island 
that  was  placed  more  than  a  mile  to  the  northward  of  the 
straight  course.  A  mariner,  like  him  of  the  India  shawl, 
could  not  overlook  so  obvious  an  intimation  of  a  change  in 
the  channel.  The  Water-Witch  was  kept  away,  and  her 
lighter  sails  were  lowered,  in  order  to  allow  the  royal 
cruiser,  whose  lofty  canvas  was  plainly  visible  above  the 
land,  to  draw  near.  When  the  Coquette  was  seen  also  to 
diverge,  there  no  longer  remained  a  doubt  of  the  direction 
necessary  to  be  taken  ;  and  everything  was  quickly  set 
upon  the  brigantine,  even  to  her  studding-sails.  Long  ere 
she  reached  the  island,  the  two  coasters  had  met,  and  each 
again  changed  its  course,  reversing  that  on  which  the  other 
had  just  been  sailing.  There  was  in  these  movements  as 
plain  an  explanation  as  a  seaman  could  desire  that  the  pur 
sued  were  right.  On  reaching  the  island,  therefore,  they 
again  luffed  into  the  wake  of  the  schooner,  and  having 
nearly  crossed  the  sheet  of  water,  they  passed  the  coaster, 
receiving  an  assurance,  in  words,  that  all  was  now  plain 
sailing  before  them. 

Such  was  the  famous  passage  of  the  Skimmer  of  the 
Seas  through  the  multiplied  and  hidden  dangers  of  the 
eastern  channel.  To  those  who  have  thus  accompanied 
him,  step  by  step,  through  its  intricacies  and  alarms,  there 
may  seem  nothing  extraordinary  in  the  event ;  but,  coupled 
as  it  was  with  the  character  previously  earned  by  that  bold 
mariner,  and  occurring  as  it  did  in  an  age  when  men  were 
more  disposed  than  at  present  to  put  faith  in  the  marvellous, 
the  reader  will  not  be  surprised  to  learn  that  it  greatly  in 
creased  his  reputation  for  daring,  and  had  no  small  influ 
ence  on  an  opinion,  which  was  by  no  means  uncommon, 
that  the  dealers  in  contraband  were  singularly  favored  by  a 
power  which  greatly  exceeded  that  of  Queen  Anne  and  ail 
her  servants. 

CHAPTER   XXIX. 

Thou  shalt  see  me  at  Philippi. — Shakespeare. 

THE  commander  of  her  Britannic  Majesty's  ship  Coquette 
slept  that  night  in  the  hammock-cloths.  Before  the  sun 
set,  the  light  and  swift  brigantine,  by  following  the  gradual 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  315 

bend  of  the  land,  had  disappeared  in  the  eastern  board  ; 
and  it  was  no  longer  a  question  of  overtaking  her  by  speed. 
Still  sail  was  crowded  on  the  royal  cruiser  ;  and  long  ere 
the  period  when  Ludlow  threw  himself  in  his  clothes  be 
tween  the  ridge-ropes  of  the  quarter-deck,  the  vessel  had 
gained  the  broadest  part  of  the  Sound,  and  was  already 
approaching  the  islands  that  form  the  "  Race." 

Throughout  the  whole  of  that  long  and  anxious  day,  the 
young  sailor  had  held  no  communication  with  the  inmates 
of  the  cabin.  The  servants  of  the  ship  had  passed  to  and 
fro  ;  but  though  the  door  seldom  opened  that  he  did  not 
bend  his  eyes  feverishly  in  that  direction,  neither  the 
Alderman,  his  niece,  the  captive,  nor  even  Francois,  or  the 
negress,  made  their  appearance  on  deck.  If  any  there  felt 
an  interest  in  the  result  of  the  chase,  it  was  concealed  in  a 
profound  and  almost  mysterious  silence.  Determined  not 
to  be  outdone  in  indifference,  and  goaded  by  feelings 
which  with  all  his  pride  he  could  not  overcome,  our  young 
seaman  took  possession  of  the  place  of  rest  we  have  men 
tioned  without  using  any  measures  to  resume  the  inter 
course. 

When  the  first  watch  of  the  night  was  come,  sail  was 
shortened  on  the  ship,  and  from  that  moment  till  the  day 
dawned  again,  her  Captain  seemed  buried  in  sleep.  With 
the  appearance  of  the  sun,  however,  he  arose,  and  com 
manded  the  canvas  to  be  spread  once  more,  and  every  ex 
ertion  made  to  drive  the  vessel  forward  to  her  object. 

The  Coquette  reached  the  Race  early  in  the  day,  and 
shooting  through  the  passage  on  an  ebb-tide,  she  was  off 
Montauk  at  noon.  No  sooner  had  the  ship  drawn  past  the 
cape,  and  reached  a  point  where  she  felt  the  breeze  and 
the  waves  of  the  Atlantic,  than  men  were  sent  aloft,  and 
twenty  eyes  were  curiously  employed  in  examining  the 
offing.  Ludlow  remembered  the  promise  of  the  Skimmer 
to  meet  him  at  that  spot  ;  and  notwithstanding  the  motives 
which  the  latter  might  be  supposed  to  have  for  avoiding 
the  interview,  so  great  was  the  influence  of  the  freetrader's 
manner  and  character,  that  the  young  Captain  entertained 
a  secret  expectation  the  promise  would  be  kept. 

"The  offing  is  clear  ! "  said  the  young  Captain,  in  a  tone 
of  disappointment,  when  he  lowered  his  glass  ;  "  yet  that 
rover  does  not  seem  a  man  to  hide  his  head  in  fear " 

"  Fear— that  is  to  say,  fear  of  a  Frenchman — and  a  de 
cent  respect  for  her  Majesty's  cruisers,  are  very  different 


3i6  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

sorts  of  things,"  returned  the  master.  "  I  never  got  a  ban 
danna  or  a  bottle  of  your  Cognac  ashore  in  my  life  that  I 
did  not  think  every  man  that  I  passed  in  the  street  could 
see  the  spots  in  the  one,  or  scent  the  flavor  of  the  other  ;  but 
then  I  never  supposed  this  shyness  amounted  to  more  than 
a  certain  suspicion  in  my  own  mind  that  other  people 
know  when  a  man  is  running  on  an  illegal  course.  I  sup 
pose  that  one  of  your  rectors,  who  is  snugly  anchored  for 
life  in  a  good  warm  living,  would  call  this  conscience  ;  but 
for  my  own  part,  Captain  Ludlow,  though  no  great  logi 
cian  in  matters  of  this  sort,  I  have  always  believed  that  it 
was  natural  concern  of  mind  lest  the  articles  should  be 
seized.  If  this  Skimmer  of  the  Seas  comes  out  to  give  us 
another  chase  in  rough  water,  he  is  by  no  means  as  good 
a  judge  of  the  difference  between  a  large  and  a  small  ves 
sel  as  I  had  thought  him — and  I  confess,  sir,  I  should  have 
more  hopes  of  taking  him  were  the  woman  under  his  bow 
sprit  fairly  burned." 

"  The  offing  is  clear." 

"  That  it  is,  with  a  show  of  the  wind  holding  here  at 
south-half-south.  The  bit  of  water  that  \ve  have  passed, 
between  yon  island  and  the  main,  is  lined  with  bays  ;  and 
while  we  are  looking  out  for  them  on  the  high  seas,  the 
cunning  varlets  may  be  treading  in  any  one  of  the  fifty 
good  basins  that  lie  between  the  cape  and  the  place  where 
we  lost  him.  For  aught  we  know,  he  may  have  run  west 
ward  again  in  the  night  watches,  and  be  at  this  moment 
laughing  in  his  sleeve  at  the  manner  in  which  he  dodged 
the  cruiser." 

"  There  is  too  much  truth  in  what  you  say,  Trysail  ;  for 
if  the  Skimmer  be  now  disposed  to  avoid  us,  he  has  cer 
tainly  the  means  in  his  powder." 

"  Sail,  ho  !  "  cried  the  look-out  on  the  main-topgallant- 
yard. 

"Where  away?" 

"  Broad  on  the  weather-beam,  sir  ;  here,  in  a  range  with 
the  light  cloud  that  is  just  lifting  from  the  water." 

"  Can  you  make  out  the  rig  ? " 

"  'Fore  George,  the  fellow  is  right ! "  interrupted  the 
master.  "  The  cloud  caused  her  to  be  unseen,  but  here 
she  is,  sure  enough — a  full-rigged  ship  under  easy  canvas, 
with  her  head  to  the  westward." 

The  look  of  Ludlow  through  the  glass  was  long,  at 
tentive  and  grave. 


THE   WATER-W 


"We  are  weak-handed  to  deal  with 
when  he  returned  the  instrument  to  Tryss 
has   nothing  but  his  topsails  set — a  show  of   canvas    that 
would  satisfy  no  trader  in  a  breeze  like  this  ! " 

The  master  was  silent,  but  his  look  was  even  longer  and 
more  critical  than  that  of  his  Captain.  When  it  had  ended, 
he  cast  a  cautious  glance  toward  the  diminished  crew, 
who  were  curiously  regarding  the  vessel  that  had  now  be 
come  sufficiently  distinct  by  a  change  in  the  position  of 
the  cloud,  and  then  answered  in  an  undertone. 

"  'Tis  a  Frenchman,  or  I  am  a  whale  !  One  may  see  it  by 
his  short  yards  and  the  hoist  of  his  sails,  aye,  and  'tis  a 
cruiser,  too,  for  no  man  who  had  a  profit  to  make  on  his 
freight  would  be  lying  there  under  short  canvas,  and  his 
port  within  a  day's  run." 

"  Your  opinion  is  my  own  ;  would  to  heaven  our  people 
were  all  here  !  This  is  but  a  short  complement  to  take  into 
action  with  a  ship  whose  force  seems  equal  to  our  own. 
What  number  can  we  count  ? " 

"  We  are  short  of  seventy — a  small  muster  for  four-and- 
twenty  guns  with  yards  like  these  to  handle." 

"  And  yet  the  port  may  not  be  insulted  !  We  are  known 
to  be  on  this  coast — 

"  We  are  seen  !  "  interrupted  the  master.  "  The  fellow 
has  wore  ship,  and  he  is  already  setting  his  topgallant-sails." 

There  no  longer  remained  any  choice  between  downright 
flight  and  preparations  for  combat.  The  former  would 
have  been  easy,  for  an  hour  would  have  taken  the  ship 
within  the  cape  ;  but  the  latter  was  far  more  in  consonance 
with  the  spirit  of  the  service  to  which  the  Coquette  be 
longed.  The  order  was  given,  therefore,  for  "  all  hands  to 
clear  ship  for  action  ! "  It  was  in  the  reckless  nature  of 
sailors  to  exult  in  this  summons  ;  for  success  and  audacity 
go  hand  in  hand,  and  long  familiarity  with  the  first  had, 
even  at  that  early  day,  given  a  confidence  that  often  ap 
proached  temerity  to  the  seamen  of  Great  Britain  and  her 
dependencies.  The  mandate  to  prepare  for  battle  was  re 
ceived  by  the  feeble  crew  of  the  Coquette  as  it  had  often 
been  received  before  when  her  decks  were  filled  with  the 
number  necessary  to  give  full  efficiency  to  her  armament ; 
though  a  few  of  the  older  and  more  experienced  mariners, 
men  in  whom  confidence  had  been  diminished  by  time, 
were  seen  to  shake  their  heads,  as  if  they  doubted  the  pru« 
dence  of  the  intended  contest. 


3i8  THE  WATER-IVITCH: 

Whatever  might  have  been  the  secret  hesitation  of  Lud- 
low  when  the  character  and  force  of  his  enemies  were 
clearly  established,  he  betrayed  no  signs  of  irresolution 
from  the  moment  when  his  decision  appeared  to  be  taken. 
The  necessary  orders  were  issued  calmly  and  with  the  clear 
ness  and  readiness  that  perhaps  constitute  the  greatest 
merit  of  a  naval  captain.  The  yards  were  hung  in  chains  ; 
the  booms  were  sent  down  ;  the  lofty  sails  were  furled, 
and,  in  short,  all  the  preparations  that  were  then  custom 
ary,  were  made  with  the  usual  promptitude  and  skill.  Then 
the  drum  beat  to  quarters,  and  when  the  people  were  at 
their  stations,  their  young  commander  had  a  better  oppor 
tunity  of  examining  into  the  true  efficiency  of  his  ship. 

Calling  to  the  master  he  ascended  the  poop,  in  order 
that  they  might  confer  together  with  less  risk  of  being 
overheard,  and  at  the  same  time  better  observe  the  ma 
noeuvres  of  the  enemy. 

The  stranger  had,  as  Trysail  perceived,  suddenly  wore 
round  on  his  heel  and  laid  his  head  to  the  northward.  The 
change  in  the  course  brought  him  before  the  wind,  and, 
as  he  immediately  spread  all  the  canvas  that  would  draw, 
he  was  approaching  fast.  During  the  time  occupied  in 
preparation  on  board  the  Coquette,  his  hull  had  risen  as 
it  were  from  out  of  the  water,  and  Ludlow  and  his  com 
panion  had  not  studied  his  appearance  long  from  the  poop 
before  the  streak  of  white  paint,  dotted  with  ports,  which 
marks  a  vessel  of  war,  became  visible  to  the  naked  eye. 
As  the  cruiser  of  Queen  Anne  continued  also  to  steer  in  the 
direction  of  the  chase,  half  an  hour  more  brought  them  suf 
ficiently  near  to  each  other  to  remove  all  doubts  of  their 
respective  characters  and  force.  The  stranger  then  came 
to  the  wind  and  made  his  preparations  for  combat. 

"  The  fellow  shows  a  stout  heart  and  a  warm  battery," 
observed  the  master,  when  the  broadside  of  the  enemy  be 
came  visible  by  this  change  in  his  position.  Six-and- 
twenty  teeth,  by  my  count !  though  the  eye-teeth  must  be 
wanting,  or  he  would  never  be  so  foolhardy  as  to  brave 
Queen  Anne's  Coquette  in  this  impudent  fashion !  A 
prettily  turned  boat,  Captain  Ludlow,  and  one  nimble 
enough  in  her  movements.  But  look  at  his  topsails.  Just 
like  his  character,  sir,  all  hoist ;  and  with  little  or  no  head 
to  them.  I'll  not  deny  but  the  hull  is  well  enough,  for  that 
is  no  more  than  carpenter's  work  ;  but  when  it  comes  to 
the  rig,  or  trim,  or  cut  of  a  sail,  how  should  a  L'Orient  or 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  319 

a  Brest  man  understand  what  is  comely  ?  There  is  no 
equalling,  after  all,  a  good,  wholesome,  honest  English  top 
sail,  which  is  neither  too  narrow  in  the  head,  nor  too  deep 
in  the  hoist,  with  a  bolt-rope  of  exactly  the  true  size,  rob- 
ands  and  earrings  and  bowlines  that  look  as  if  they  grew 
there,  and  sheets  that  neither  nature  nor  art  could  alter  to 
advantage.  Here  are  these  Americans,  now,  making  inno 
vations  in  ship-building,  and  in  the  sparring  of  vessels,  as 
if  anything  could  be  gained  by  quitting  the  customs  and 
opinions  of  their  ancestors  !  Any  man  may  see  that  all 
they  have  about  them  that  is  good  for  anything  is  English, 
while  all  their  nonsense  and  new-fangled  changes  come 
from  their  own  vanity." 

"  They  get  along,  Master  Trysail,  notwithstanding,"  re 
turned  the  Captain,  who,  though  a  sufficiently  loyal  sub 
ject,  could  not  forget  his  birthplace  ;  "  and  many  is  the 
time  this  ship,  one  of  the  finest  models  of  Plymouth,  hcs 
been  bothered  to  overhaul  the  coasters  of  these  seas.  Here 
is  the  brigantine  that  has  laughed  at  us  on  our  best  tack, 
and  with  our  choice  of  wind." 

"  One  cannot  say  where  that  brigantine  was  built,  Cap 
tain  Ludlow.  It  may  be  here,  it  may  be  there  ;  for  I  look 
upon  her  as  a  nondescript,  as  old  Admiral  Top  used  to 
call  the  galiots  of  the  north  seas  ;  but,  concerning  these 
new  American  fashions,  of  what  use  are  they,  I  would  ask, 
Captain  Ludlow  ?  In  the  first  place  they  are  neither  Eng 
lish  nor  French,  which  is  as  much  as  to  confess  they  are 
altogether  outlandish  ;  in  the  second  place,  they  disturb 
the  harmony  and  established  usages  among  wrights  and 
sailmakers,  and,  though  they  may  get  along  well  enough 
now,  sooner  or  later,  take  my  word  for  it,  they  will  come 
to  harm.  It  is  unreasonable  to  suppose  that  a  new  people 
can  discover  anything  in  the  construction  of  a  ship  that 
has  escaped  the  wisdom  of  seamen  as  old — the  Frenchman 
is  clewing  up  his  topgallant-sails,  and  means  to  let  them 
hang,  which  is  much  the  same  as  condemning  them  at 
once — and,  therefore,  I  am  of  opinion  that  all  these  new 
fashions  will  come  to  no  good." 

"Your  reasoning  is  absolutely  conclusive,  Master  Try 
sail,"  returned  the  Captain,  whose  thoughts  were  differ 
ently  employed.  "  I  agree  with  you,  it  would  be  safer  for 
the  stranger  to  send  down  his  yards." 

"  There  is  something  manly  and  becoming  in  seeing  a 
ship  strip  herself  as  she  comes  into  action,  sir  !  It  is  like 


320  T2TE  WATER-WITCH. 

a  boxer  taking  off  his  jacket,  with  the  intention  of  making 
a  fair  stand-up  fight  for  it.  The  fellow  is  filling  away 
again,  and  means  to  manoeuvre  before  he  comes  fairly  to 
his  work." 

The  eye  of  Ludlow  had  never  quitted  the  stranger.  He 
saw  that  the  moment  for  serious  action  was  not  distant ; 
and  bidding  Trysail  keep  the  vessel  on  her  course,  lie 
descended  to  the  quarter-deck.  For  a  single  instant,  the 
young  commander  paused,  with  his  hand  on  the  door  of 
the  cabin  ;  then  overcoming  his  reluctance,  he  entered  the 
apartment. 

The  Coquette  \vas  built  after  a  fashion  much  in  vogue  a 
century  since,  and  which,  by  a  fickleness  that  influences 
marine  architecture  as  well  as  less  important  things,  is 
again  coming  into  use  for  vessels  of  her  force.  The  accom 
modations  of  the  commander  were  on  the  same  deck  with 
the  batteries  of  the  ship,  and  they  were  frequently  made  to 
contain  two  or  even  four  guns  of  the  armament.  When 
Ludlow  entered  his  cabin,  therefore,  he  found  a  crew 
stationed  around  the  gun  which  was  placed  on  the  side 
next  the  enemy,  and  all  the  customary  arrangements  made 
which  precede  a  combat.  The  state-rooms  abaft,  however, 
as  well  as  the  little  apartment  which  lay  between  them, 
were  closed.  Glancing  his  eye  about  him,  and  observing 
the  carpenters  in  readiness,  he  made  a  signal  for  them  to 
knock  away  the  bulkheads,  and  lay  the  whole  of  the  fight 
ing  part  of  the  ship  in  common.  While  this  duty  was 
going  on,  he  entered  the  after-cabin. 

Admiral  Van  Beverout  and  his  companions  were  found 
together,  and  evidently  in  expectation  of  the  visit  they  now 
received.  Passing  coolly  by  the  former,  Ludlow  ap 
proached  his  niece,  and,  taking  her  hand,  he  led  her  to 
the  quarter-deck,  making  a  sign  for  her  female  attendant 
to  follow.  Descending  into  the  depths  of  the  ship,  the 
Captain  conducted  his  charge  into  a  part  of  the  berth-deck 
that  was  below  the  water-line,  and  as  much  removed  from 
danger  as  she  could  well  be  without  encountering  a  foul 
air,  or  sights  that  might  be  painful  to  one  of  her  sex  and 
habits. 

"  Here  is  as  much  safety  as  a  vessel  of  war  affords  in  a 
moment  like  this,"  he  said,  when  his  companion  was 
silently  seated  on  a  mess-chest.  "  On  no  account  quit  the 
spot,  till  I — or  some  other — advise  you  it  may  be  done 
without  hazard." 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  321 

Alicia  had  submitted  to  be  led  thither  without  a  question. 
Though  her  color  went  and  came,  she  saw  the  little  dis 
positions  that  were  made  for  her  comfort,  and  without- 
which,  even  at  that  moment,  the  young  sailor  could  not 
quit  her,  in  the  same  silence.  But  when  they  were  ended, 
and  her  conductor  was  about  to  retire,  his  name  escaped  her 
by  an  exclamation  that  seemed  hurried  and  involuntary. 

"  Can  I  do  aught  else  to  quiet  your  apprehensions  ? " 
the  young  man  inquired,  though  he  studiously  avoided  her 
eye,  as  he  turned  to  put  the  question.  "  I  know  your 
strength  of  mind,  and  that  you  have  a  resolution  which 
exceeds  the  courage  of  your  sex  ;  else  I  would  not  venture 
so  freely  to  point  out  the  danger  which  may  beset  one,  even 
here,  without  a  self-command  and  discretion  that  shall 
restrain  all  sudden  impulses  of  fear." 

"Notwithstanding  your  generous  interpretation  of  my 
character,  Ludlow,  I  am  but  woman  after  all." 

"I  did  not  mistake  you  for  an  Amazon,"  returned  the 
young  man,  smiling,  perceiving  that  she  checked  her  words 
by  a  sudden  effort.  "  All  I  expect  from  you  is  the  triumph 
of  reason  over  female  terror.  I  shall  not  conceal  that  the 
odds — perhaps  I  may  say  that  the  chances  are  against  us  ; 
yet  the  enemy  must  pay  for  the  ship  ere  he  has  her  ! 
She  will  be  none  the  worst  defended,  Alida,  from  the  con 
sciousness  that  thy  liberty  and  comfort  depend  in  some 
measure  on  our  exertions.  Would  you  say  more  ?  " 

Le  belle  Barberie  struggled  with  herself,  and  she  be 
came  calm,  at  least  in  exterior. 

"There  has  been  a  singular  misconception  between  us, 
yet  is  this  no  moment  for  explanation  !  Ludlow,  I  would 
not  have  you  part  with  me,  at  such  a  time  as  this,  with 
that  cold  and  reproachful  eye  ! " 

She  paused.  When  the  young  man  ventured  to  raise 
his  look,  he  saw  the  beautiful  girl  standing  with  a  hand 
extended  toward  him,  as  if  offering  a  pledge  of  amity  ; 
while  the  crimson  on  her  cheek,  and  her  yielding  but  half- 
averted  eye,  spoke  with  the  eloquence  of  maiden  modesty. 
Seizing  the  hand,  he  answered,  hastily — 

"  Time  was  when  this  action  would  have  made  me 
happy- 

The  young  man  paused,  for  his  gaze  had  unconsciously 
become  riveted  on  the  rings  of  the  hand  he  held.  Alida 
understood  the  look,  and,  drawing  one  of  the  jewels,  she 
offered  u  with  a  smile  that  was  as  attractive  as  her  beauty. 


322  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

"One  of  these  may  be  spared,"  she  said.  "  Take  it, 
Ludlow  ;  and  when  thy  present  duty  shall  be  performed, 
return  it,  as  a  gage  that  I  have  promised  that  no  explana 
tion  which  you  have  a  right  to  ask  shall  be  withheld." 

The  young  man  took  the  ring  and  forced  it  on  the  small 
est  of  his  fingers,  in  a  mechanical  manner,  and  with  a  be 
wildered  look  that  seemed  to  inquire  if  some  one  of  those 
which  remained  was  not  the  token  of  a  plighted  faith.  It 
is  probable  that  he  might  have  continued  the  discourse, 
had  not  a  gun  been  fired  from  the  enemy.  It  rec  died  him 
to  the  more  serious  business  of  the  hour.  Already  more 
than  half  disposed  to  believe  all  he  could  wish,  he  raised 
the  fair  hand,  which  had  just  bestowed  the  boon,  to  his 
lips,  and  rushed  upon  deck. 

"The  Monsieur  is  beginning  to  bluster,"  said  Trysail, 
who  had  witnessed  the  descent  of  his  commander,  at  that 
moment  and  on  such  an  errand,  with  great  dissatisfaction. 
"Although  his  shot  fell  short,  it  is  too  much  to  let  a 
Frenchman  have  the  credit  of  the  first  word." 

"  He  has  merely  given  the  weather  gun,  the  signal  of 
defiance.  Let  him  come  down,  and  he  will  not  find  us  in 
a  hurry  to  leave  him  !  " 

"  No,  no  ;  as  for  that,  wre  are  snug  enough  !  "  returned 
the  master,  chuckling  as  he  surveyed  the  half-naked  spars, 
and  the  light  top  hamper,  to  which  he  had  himself  reduced 
the  ship.  "  If  running  is  to  be  our  play,  we  have  made  a 
false  move  at  the  beginning  of  the  game.  These  topsails, 
spanker,  and  jib,  make  a  show  that  says  more  for  bottom 
than  for  speed.  Well,  come  what  will  of  this  affair,  it  will 
leave  me  a  master,  though  it  is  beyond  the  power  of  the 
best  duke  in  England  to  rob  me  of  my  share  of  the  honor  !  " 

With  this  consolation  for  his  perfectly  hopeless  con 
dition  as  respects  promotion,  the  old  seaman  walked  for 
ward,  examining  critically  into  the  state  of  the  vessel  ; 
while  his  young  commander,  having  cast  a  look  about 
him,  motioned  to  his  prisoner  and  the  Alderman  to  follow 
to  the  poop. 

"  I  do  not  pretend  to  inquire  into  the  nature  of  the  tie 
which  unites  you  with  some  in  this  ship,"  Ludlow  com 
menced,  addressing  his  words  to  Seadrift,  though  he  kept 
his  gaze  on  the  recent  gift  of  Alida  ;  "but,  that  it  must  be 
strong,  is  evident  by  the  interest  they  have  taken  in  your 
fate.  One  who  is  thus  esteemed  should  set  a  value  on 
himself.  How  far  you  have  trifled  with  the  laws,  I  do  not 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  323 

wish  to  say  ;  but  here  is  an  opportunity  to  redeem  some  of 
the  public  favor.  You  are  a  seaman,  and  need  not  be  told 
that  my  ship  is  not  as  strongly  manned  as  one  could  wish 
her  at  this  moment,  and  that  the  services  of  every  English 
man  will  be  welcome.  Take  charge  of  these  six  guns,  and 
depend  on  my  honor  that  your  devotion  to  the  flag  shall 
not  go  unrequited." 

"You  much  mistake  my  vocation,  noble  Captain,"  re 
turned  the  dealer  in  contraband,  faintly  laughing.  "  Though 
one  of  the  seas,  I  am  one  more  used  to  the  calm  latitudes 
than  to  these  whirlwinds  of  war.  You  have  visited  the 
brigantine  of  our  mistress,  and  must  have  seen  that  her 
temple  resembles  that  of  Janus  more  than  that  of  Mars. 
The  deck  of  the  Water-Witch  has  none  of  this  frowning 
garniture  of  artillery." 

Ludlow  listened  in  amazement.  Surprise,  incredulity, 
and  scorn,  were  each  in  turn  expressed  in  his  frowning 
countenance. 

"  This  is  unbecoming  language  for  one  of  your  calling," 
he  said,  scarce  deeming  it  necessary  to  conceal  the  con 
tempt  he  felt.  "  Do  you  acknowledge  fealty  to  this  en 
sign — are  you  an  Englishman  ?" 

"  I  am  such  as  Heaven  was  pleased  to  make  me — fitter 
for  the  zephyr  than  the  gale — the  jest  than  the  war-shout 
— the  merry  moment  than  the  angry  mood." 

"Is  this  the  man  whose  name  for  daring  has  passed 
into  a  proverb  ? — the  dauntless,  reckless,  skilful  Skimmer 
of  the  Seas  !  " 

"North  is  not  more  removed  from  south  than  I  am  from 
him  in  the  qualities  you  seek  !  It  was  not  my  duty  to  un 
deceive  you  as  to  the  value  of  your  captive,  while  he  whose 
services  are  beyond  price  to  our  mistress  was  still  on  the 
coast.  So  far  from  being  him  you  name,  brave  Captain, 
I  claim  to  be  no  more  than  one  of  his  agents,  who,  having 
some  experience  in  the  caprices  of  women,  he  trusts  to 
recommend  his  wares  to  female  fancies.  Though  so  use 
less  in  inflicting  injuries,  I  may  make  bold,  however,  to 
rate  myself  as  excellent  at  consolation.  Suffer  that  I  ap 
pease  the  fears  of  la  belle  Barberie  during  the  coming 
tumult,  and  you  shall  own  that  one  more  skilful  in  that 
merciful  office  is  rare." 

"  Comfort  whom,  where,  and  what  thou  wilt,  miserable 
effigy  of  manhood  ! — but  hold,  there  is  less  of  terror  than 
of  artifice  in  that  lurking  smile  and  treacherous  eye  ! " 


324  THE   WATE 

"  Discredit  both,  generous  Captain !  On  the  faith  oi 
one  who  can  be  sincere  at  need,  a  wholesome  fear  is  up 
permost,  whatever  else  the  disobedient  member  may  betray. 
I  could  fain  weep  rather  than  be  thought  valiant  just  now  ! " 

Ludlow  listened  in  wonder.  He  had  raised  an  arm  to 
arrest  the  retreat  of  the  young  mariner,  and  by  a  natural 
movement  his  hand  slid  along  the  limb  it  had  grasped, 
until  it  held  that  of  Seadrift.  The  instant  he  touched  the 
soft  and  ungloved  palm,  an  idea,  as  novel  as  it  was  sud 
den,  crossed  his  brain.  Retreating  a  step  or  two,  he  ex 
amined  the  light  and  agile  form  of  the  other,  from  head 
to  feet.  The  frown  of  displeasure,  which  had  clouded  his 
brow,  now  changed  to  a  look  of  unfeigned  surprise  ;  and 
for  the  first  time  the  tones  of  the  voice  came  over  his 
recollection  as  being  softer  and  more  melodious  than  is 
wont  in  man. 

"Truly,  thou  art  not  the  Skimmer  of  the  Seas  !"  he 
exclaimed,  when  his  short  examination  was  ended. 

"  No  truth  more  certain.  I  am  one  of  little  account  in 
this  rude  encounter,  though  were  that  gallant  seaman 
here,"  and  the  color  deepened  on  the  cheeks  of  Seadrift  as 
he  spoke,  "  his  arm  and  counsel  might  prove  a  host !  Oh  ! 
I  have  seen  him  in  scenes  far  more  trying  than  this,  when 
the  elements  have  conspired  with  other  dangers.  The  ex 
ample  of  his  steadiness  and  spirit  has  given  courage  even 
to  the  feeblest  heart  in  the  brigantine  !  Now,  let  me  to  of 
fer  consolation  to  the  timid  Alida." 

"  I  should  little  merit  her  gratitude,  were  the  request  re 
fused,"  returned  Ludlow.  "  Go,  gay  and  gallant  Master 
Seadrift !  if  the  enemy  fears  thy  presence  on  the  deck  as 
little  as  I  dread  it  with  la  belle  Barberie,  thy  services  here 
will  be  useless  !  " 

Seadrift  colored  to  the  temples,  crossed  his  arms  meekly 
on  his  bosom,  sank  in  an  attitude  of  leave-taking,  that  was 
so  equivocal  as  to  cause  the  attentive  and  critical  young 
Captain  to  smile,  and  then  glided  past  him  and  disappeared 
through  a  hatch-way. 

The  eye  of  Ludlow  followed  the  active  and  graceful 
form,  while  it  continued  in  sight ;  and  when  it  was  no 
longer  visible,  he  faced  the  Alderman,  with  a  look  which 
seemed  to  inquire  how  far  he  might  be  acquainted  with  the 
true  character  of  the  individual  who  had  been  the  cause  of 
so  much  pain  to  himself. 

"  Have  I  done  well,  sir,  in  permitting  a  subject  of  Queen 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  325 

Anne  to  quit  us  at  this  emergency  ? "  he  demanded,  observ 
ing  that  either  the  phlegm  or  the  self-command  of  Myn- 
dert  rendered  him  proof  to  scrutiny. 

"  The  lad  may  be  termed  contraband  of  war,"  returned 
the  Alderman,  without  moving  a  muscle  ;  "  an  article  that 
will  command  a  better  price  in  a  quiet  than  in  a  turbulent 
market.  In  short,  Captain  Cornelius  Ludlow,  this  Master 
Seadrift  will  not  answer  thy  purpose  at  all  in  combat." 

"  And  is  this  example  of  heroism  to  go  any  farther,  or 
may  I  count  on  the  assistance  of  Mr.  Alderman  Van  Bev- 
erout  ?  He  has  the  reputation  of  a  loyal  citizen." 

"As  for  loyalty,"  returned  the  Alderman,  "so  far  as 
saying  '  God  bless  the  Queen,'  at  city  feasts,  will  go,  none 
are  more  so.  A  wish  is  not  an  expensive  return  for  the 
protection  of  her  fleets  and  armies,  and  I  wish  her  and  you 
success  against  the  enemy,  with  all  my  heart.  But  I  never 
admired  the  manner  in  which  the  States-General  were 
dispossessed  of  their  possessions  on  this  continent,  Master 
Ludlow,  and  therefore  I  pay  the  Stuarts  little  more  than  I 
owe  them  in  law." 

"  Which  is  as  much  as  to  say,  that  you  will  join  the  gay 
smuggler  in  administering  consolation  to  one  whose  spirit 
places  her  above  the  need  of  such  succor." 

"Not  so  fast,  young  gentleman.  We  mercantile  men 
like  to  see  oifsets  in  our  books,  before  they  are  balanced. 
Whatever  may  be  my  opinion  of  the  reigning  family,  which 
I  only  utter  to  you  in  confidence,  and  not  as  coin  that  is  to 
pass  from  hand  to  hand,  my  love  for  the  Grand  Monarque 
is  still  less.  Louis  is  at  loggerheads  writh  the  United  Prov 
inces,  as  well  as  with  our  gracious  Queen  ;  and  I  see  no  harm 
in  opposing  one  of  his  cruisers,  since  they  certainly  annoy 
trade,  and  render  returns  for  investments  inconveniently 
uncertain.  I  have  heard  artillery  in  my  time,  having  in 
my  younger  days  led  a  band  of  city  volunteers  in  many  a 
march  and  countermarch  around  the  Bowling  Green  ;  and 
for  the  honor  of  the  Second  Ward  of  the  good  town  of 
Manhattan,  I  am  now  ready  to  undertake  to  show  that  all 
knowledge  of  the  art  has  not  entirely  departed  from  me." 

"  That  is  a  manly  answer,  and,  provided  it  be  sustained 
by  a  corresponding  countenance,  there  shall  be  no  imper 
tinent  inquiry  into  motives.  Tis  the  officer  that  makes 
the  ship  victorious  ;  for,  when  he  sets  a  good  example  and 
understands  his  duty,  there  is  little  fear  of  the  men.  Choose 
your  position  among  any  of  these  guns,  and  we  will  make 


326  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

an  effort  to  disappoint  yon  servants  of  Louis,  whether  we 
do  it  as  Englishmen,  or  only  as  the  allies  of  the  Seven 
Provinces." 

Myndert  descended  to  the  quarter-deck,  and  having 
deliberately  deposited  his  coat  on  the  capstan,  replaced 
his  wig  by  a  handkerchief,  and  tightened  the  buckle  that 
did  the  office  of  suspenders,  he  squinted  along  the  guns, 
with  a  certain  air  that  served  to  assure  the  spectators  he 
had  at  least  no  dread  of  the  recoil. 

Alderman  Van  Beverout  was  a  personage  far  too  impor 
tant,  not  to  be  known  by  most  of  those  who  frequented 
the  goodly  town  of  which  he  was  a  civic  officer.  His 
presence,  therefore,  among  the  men,  not  a  few  of  whom 
were  natives  of  the  colony,  had  a  salutary  effect  ;  some 
yielding  to  the  sympathy  which  is  natural  to  a  hearty  and 
encouraging  example,  while  it  is  possible  there  were  a  few 
that  argued  less  of  danger,  in  consequence  of  the  indiffer 
ence  of  a  man  who,  being  so  rich,  had  so  many  motives  to 
take  good  care  of  his  person.  Be  this  as  it  might,  the 
burgher  was  received  by  a  cheer  which  drew  a  short  but 
pithy  address  from  him,  in  which  he  exhorted  his  com 
panions  in  arms  to  do  their  duty,  in  a  manner  which 
should  teach  the  Frenchmen  the  wisdom  of  leaving  that 
coast  in  future  free  from  annoyance  ;  while  he  wisely  ab 
stained  from  all  the  commonplace  allusions  to  king  and 
country — a  subject  to  which  he  felt  his  inability  to  do 
proper  justice. 

"  Let  every  man  remember  that  cause  for  courage, 
which  may  be  most  agreeable  to  his  own  habits  and 
opinions,"  concluded  this  imitator  of  the  Hannibals  and 
Scipios  of  old:  ''for  that  is  the  surest  and  the  briefest 
method  of  bringing  his  mind  into  an  obstinate  state.  In  my 
own  case,  there  is  no  want  of  motive  ;  and  I  dare  say  each 
one  of  yc?u  may  find  some  sufficient  reason  for  entering 
heart  and  hand  into  this  battle.  Protests  and  credit !  what 
would  become  of  the  affairs  of  the  best  house  in  the  colo 
nies  were  its  principal  to  be  led  a  captive  to  Brest  or 
L'Orient?  It  might  derange  the  business  of  the  whole 
city.  I'll  not  offend  your  patriotism  with  such  a  supposi 
tion,  but  at  once  believe  that  your  minds  are  resolved,  like 
my  own,  to  resist  to  the  last ;  for  this  is  an  interest  which 
is  general,  as  all  questions  of  a  commercial  nature  become 
through  their  influence  on  the  happiness  and  prosperity 
of  societv." 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  327 

Having  terminated  his  address  in  so  apposite  and  public- 
spirited  a  manner,  the  worthy  burgher  hemmed  loudly, 
and  resumed  his  accustomed  silence,  perfectly  assured  of 
his  own  applause.  If  the  matter  of  Myndert's  discourse 
wears  too  much  the  air  of  an  undivided  attention  to  his 
own  interests,  the  reader  will  not  forget  it  is  by  this 
concentration  of  individuality  that  most  of  the  mercan 
tile  prosperity  of  the  world  is  achieved. 

The  seamen  listened  with  admiration,  for  they  under 
stood  no  part  of  the  appeal,  and,  next  to  a  statement 
which  shall  be  so  lucid  as  to  induce  every  hearer  to  believe 
it  is  no  more  than  a  happy  explanation  of  his  own  ideas, 
that  which  is  unintelligible  is  apt  to  unite  most  suffrages 
in  its  favor. 

"  You  see  your  enemy,  and  you  know  your  work  ! "  said 
the  clear  voice  of  Ludlow,  who,  as  he  passed  among  the 
people  of  the  Coquette,  spoke  to  them  in  that  steady,  un 
wavering  tone  which,  in  moments  of  danger,  goes  to  the 
heart.  "  I  shall  not  pretend  that  we  are  as  strong  as  I 
could  wish  ;  but  the  greater  the  necessity  for  a  strong 
pull,  the  readier  a  true  seaman  will  be  to  give  it.  There 
are  no  nails  in  that  ensign.  When  I  am  dead,  you  may 
pull  it  down  if  you  please  ;  but  so  long  as  I  live,  my 
men,  there  it  shall  fly !  And  now,  one  cheer  to  show 
your  humor,  and  let  the  rest  of  your  noise  come  from  the 
guns." 

The  crew  complied,  with  a  full-mouthed  and  hearty 
hurrah  !  Trysail  assured  a  young,  laughing,  careless  mid 
shipman,  who  even  at  that  moment  could  enjoy  an  uproar, 
that  he  had  seldom  heard  a  prettier  piece  of  sea-eloquence 
than  that  which  had  just  fallen  from  the  Captain  ;  it  being 
both  "  neat  and  gentleman-like." 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

Sir,  it  is 

A  charge  too  heavy  for  my  strength  ;  but  yet 
We'll  strive  to  bear  it  for  your  worthy  sake, 
To  the  extreme  edge  of  hazard.—  Alts  Well  That  Ends  Well. 

THE  vessel,  which  appeared  so  inopportunely  for  the 
safety  of  the  ill-manned  British  cruiser,  was,  in  truth,  a 
ship  that  had  roved  from  among  the  islands  of  the  Carib* 


328  THE  WATER-WITCH. 

bean  sea  in  quest  of  some  such  adventure  as  that  which 
now  presented  itself. 

She  was  called  La  Belle  Fontange,  and  her  commander, 
a  youth  of  two-and-twenty,  was  already  well  known  in  the 
salons  of  the  Marais  and  behind  the  wrallsof  the  Rue  Basse 
des  Remparts  as  one  of  the  most  gay  and  amiable  of  those 
who  frequented  the  former,  and  one  of  the  most  spirited 
and  skilful  among  the  adventurers  who  sometimes  trusted 
to  their  address  in  the  latter.  Rank  and  influence  at  Ver 
sailles  had  procured  for  the  young  Chevalier  Dumont  de 
la  Rocheforte  a  command  to  which  he  could  lay  no  claim 
either  by  his  experience  or  his  services.  His  mother,  a 
near  relative  of  one  of  the  beauties  of  the  court,  had  been 
commanded  to  use  sea-bathing  as  a  preventive  against  the 
consequences  of  the  bite  of  a  rabid  lapdog. 

By  way  of  a  suitable  episode  to  the  long  description  she 
was  in  the  daily  habit  of  writing  to  those  whose  knowledge 
of  her  new  element  was  limited  to  the  constant  view  of 
a  few  ponds  and  ditches  teeming  with  carp,  or  an  occa 
sional  glimpse  of  some  of  the  turbid  reaches  of  the  Seine, 
she  had  vowed  to  devote  her  youngest  child  to  Neptune  ! 
In  due  time,  that  is  to  say,  while  the  poetic  sentiment  was 
at  the  access,  the  young  chevalier  was  duly  enrolled,  and, 
in  a  time  that  greatly  anticipated  all  regular  and  judicious 
preferment,  he  was  placed  in  command  of  the  corvette  in 
question,  and  sent  to  the  Indies  to  gain  glory  for  himself 
and  his  country. 

The  Chevalier  Dumont  de  la  Rocheforte  was  brave,  but 
his  courage  was  not  the  calm  and  silent  self-possession  of 
a  seaman.  Like  himself,  it  wras  lively,  buoyant,  thought 
less,  bustling,  and  full  of  animal  feeling.  He  had  all  the 
pride  of  a  gentleman,  and  unfortunately  for  the  duty  which 
he  had  now  for  the  first  time  to  perform,  one  of  its  dictates 
taught  him  to  despise  that  species  of  mechanical  knowl 
edge  which  it  was,  just  at  this  moment,  so  important  to  the 
commander  of  La  Fontange  to  possess.  He  could  dance 
to  admiration,  did  the  honors  of  his  cabin  with  faultless 
elegance,  and  had  caused  the  death  of  an  excellent  mar 
iner,  who  had  accidently  fallen  overboard,  by  jumping 
into  the  sea  to  save  him,  without  knowing  how  to  swim 
a  stroke  himself — a  rashness  that  had  diverted  those  exer 
tions  which  might  have  saved  the  unfortunate  sailor  from 
the  assistance  of  the  subordinate  to  the  safety  of  his  supe 
rior.  He  wrote  sonnets  prettily,  and  had  some  ideas  of  the 


THE  WATER-WITCH^  329 

new  philosophy  which  was  just  then  beginning  to  dawn 
upon  the  world  ;  but  the  cordage  of  his  ship,  and  the 
lines  of  a  mathematical  problem,  equally  presented  laby 
rinths  he  had  never  threaded. 

It  was  perhaps  fortunate  for  the  safety  of  all  in  her,  that 
La  Belle  Fontange  possessed  an  inferior  officer,  in  the 
person  of  a  native  of  Boulogne-sur-Mer,  who  was  quite 
competent  to  see  that  she  kept  the  proper  course,  and  that 
she  displayed  none  of  the  topgallants  of  her  pride  at  un- 
propitious  moments.  The  ship  itself  was  sufficiently  and 
finely  moulded,  of  a  light  and  airy  rig,  and  of  established 
reputation  for  speed.  If  it  was  defective  in  anything,  it 
had  the  fault,  in  common  with  its  commander,  of  a  want 
of  sufficient  solidity  to  resist  the  vicissitudes  and  dangers 
of  the  turbulent  element  on  which  it  was  destined  to  act. 

The  vessels  were  now  within  a  mile  of  each  other.  The 
breeze  was  steady,  and  sufficiently  fresh  for  all  the 
evolutions  of  a  naval  combat,  while  the  water  was  just 
quiet  enough  to  permit  the  ships  to  be  handled  with  con 
fidence  and  accuracy.  La  Fontange  was  running  with  her 
head  to  the  eastward,  and,  as  she  had  the  advantage  of  the 
wind,  her  tall  tracery  of  spars  leaned  gently  in  the  direc 
tion  of  her  adversary.  The  Coquette  was  standing  on  the 
other  tack,  and  necessarily  inclined  from  her  enemy.  Both 
vessels  were  stripped  to  their  topsails,  spankers,  and  jibs, 
though  the  lofty  sails  of  the  Frenchman  were  fluttering  in 
the  breeze,  like  the  graceful  folds  of  some  fanciful  drapery. 
No  human  being  was  distinctly  visible  in  either  fabric, 
though  dark  clusters  around  each  masthead  showed  that 
the  ready  topmen  were  prepared  to  discharge  their  duties, 
even  in  the  confusion  and  dangers  of  the  impending  con 
test.  Once  or  twice  La  Fontange  inclined  her  head  more 
in  the  direction  of  her  adversary  ;  then,  sweeping  again  up 
to  the  wind,  she  stood  on  in  stately  beauty.  The  moment 
was  near  when  the  ships  were  about  to  cross  each  other,  at 
a  point  where  a  musket  would  readily  send  its  message 
across  the  water  that  lay  between  them.  Ludlow,  who 
closely  watched  each  change  of  position,  and  every  rise 
and  fall  of  the  breeze,  went  on  the  poop,  and  swept  the 
horizon  with  his  glass  for  the  last  time  before  his  ship 
should  be  enveloped  in  smoke.  To  his  surprise,  he  dis 
covered  a  pyramid  of  canvas  rising  above  the  sea,  in  the 
direction  of'  the  wind.  The  sail  was  clearly  visible  to  the 
naked  eye,  and  had  only  escaped  earlier  observation  in  the 


330  THE  WATER-WITCH* 

duties  of  so  urgent  a  moment.  Calling  the  master  to  his 
side,  he  inquired  his  opinion  concerning  the  character  of 
the  second  stranger.  But  Trysail  confessed  it  exceeded 
even  his  long-tried  powers  of  observation,  to  say  more  than 
that  it  was  a  ship  running  before  the  wind,  with  a  cloud  of 
sail  spread.  After  a  second  and  a  longer  look,  however, 
the  experienced  master  ventured  to  add  that  the  stranger 
had  the  squareness  and  symmetry  of  a  cruiser,  but  of  what 
size  he  would  not  yet  presume  to  declare. 

"  It  may  be  a  light  ship  under  her  topgallant  and  stud- 
tling-sails,  or  it  may  be  that  we  see  only  the  lofty  duck  of 
sonic  heavier  vessel.  Captain  Ludlow — ha  !  he  has  caught 
the  eye  of  the  Frenchman,  for  the  corvette  has  signals 
abroad !  " 

"  To  your  glass  !  If  the  stranger  answer,  we  have  no 
choice  but  our  speed." 

There  was  another  keen  and  anxious  examination  of  the 
upper  spars  of  the  distant  ship,  but  the  direction  of  the 
wind  prevented  any  signs  of  her  communicating  with  the 
corvette  from  being  visible.  La  Fontange  appeared  equal 
ly  uncertain  of  the  character  of  the  stranger,  and  for  a 
moment  there  was  some  evidence  of  an  intention  to  change 
her  course.  But  the  moment  for  indecision  had  passed. 
The  ships  were  already  sweeping  up  abreast  of  each  other 
under  the  constant  pressure  of  the  breeze. 

"  Be  ready,  men  !  "  said  Ludlow,  in  a  low  but  firm  voice, 
retaining  his  elevated  position  on  the  poop,  while  he  mo 
tioned  to  his  companion  to  return  to  the  main-deck. 
"  Fire  at  his  flash  !  " 

Intense  expectation  succeeded.  The  two  graceful  fab 
rics  sailed  steadily  on,  and  came  within  hail.  So  pro 
found  was  the  stillness  in  the  Coquette,  that  the  rushing 
sound  of  the  water  she  heaped  under  her  bows  was  dis 
tinctly  audible  to  all  on  board,  and  might  be  likened  to  the 
deep  breathing  of  some  vast  animal  that  was  collecting 
its  physical  energies  for  some  unusual  exertion.  On  the 
other  hand,  tongues  were  loud  and  clamorous  among  the 
cordage  of  La  Fontange.  Just  as  the  ships  were  fairly 
abeam  the  voice  of  young  Dumont  was  heard  shouting 
through  a  trumpet  for  his  men  to  fire.  Ludlow  smiled  in 
a  seaman's  scorn.  Raising  his  own  trumpet,  with  a  quiet 
gesture  to  his  attentive  and  ready  crew,  the  whole  dis 
charge  of  their  artillery  broke  out  of  the  dark  side  of  the 
ship,  as  if  it  had  been  by  the  volition  of  the  fabric.  The 


THE   WATER- WITCH-  331 

answering  broadside  was  received  almost  as  soon  as  their 
own  had  been  given,  and  the  two  vessels  passed  swiftly 
without  the  line  of  shot. 

The  wind  had  sent  back  their  own  smoke  upon  the  Eng 
lish,  and  for  a  time  it  floated  on  their  decks,  wreathed  itself 
in  the  eddies  of  the  sails,  and  passed  away  to  leeward,  with 
the  breeze  that  succeeded  to  the  counter-current  of  the  ex 
plosion.  The  whistling  of  shot  and  the  crash  of  wood  had 
been  heard  amid  the  din  of  the  combat.  Giving  a  glance 
at. his  enemy,  who  still  stood  on,  Ludlow  leaned  from  the 
poop,  and,  with  a  sailor's  anxiety,  he  endeavored  to  scan  the 
gear  aloft. 

"  What  is  gone,  sir  ?  "  he  asked  of  Trysail,  whose  earnest 
face  just  then  became  visible  through  the  drifting  smoke. 
"  What  sail  is  so  heavily  flapping  ?  " 

"  Little  harm  done,  sir — little  harm — bear  a  hand  with 
the  tackle  on  that  fore-yard-arm,  you  lubbers  !  you  move 
like  snails  in  a  minuet  !  The  fellow  has  shot  away  the  lee- 
fore-topsail  sheet,  sir  ;  but  we  shall  soon  get  our  wings 
spread  again.  Lash  it  down,  boys,  as  if  it  were  butt-bolted 
— so  ;  steady  out  your  bowline,  forward.  Meet  her,  you 
can  ;  meet  her,  you  may — meet  her  !  " 

The  smoke  had  disappeared,  and  the  eye  of  the  Captain 
rapidly  scanned  the  whole  of  his  ship.  Three  or  four  top- 
men  had  already  caught  the  flapping  canvas,  and  were 
seated  on  the  extremity  of  the  fore-yard,  busied  in  securing 
their  prize.  A  hole  or  two  was  visible  in  the  other  sails, 
and  here  and  there  an  unimportant  rope  was  dangling  in  a 
manner  to  show  that  it  had  been  cut  by  shot.  Farther  than 
this,  the  damage  aloft  was  not  of  a  nature  to  attract  his 
attention. 

There  was  a  different  scene  on  deck.  The  feeble  crew 
were  earnestly  occupied  in  loading  the  guns,  and  rammers 
and  sponges  were  handled  with  all  the  intenseness  which 
men  would  manifest  in  a  moment  so  exciting.  The  Alder 
man  was  never  more  absorbed  in  his  ledger  than  he  now 
appeared  in  his  duty  of  a  cannoneer  ;  and  the  youths,  to 
whom  the  command  of  the  batteries  had  necessarily  been 
confided,  diligently  aided  him  with  their  greater  authority 
and  experience.  Trysail  stood  near  the  capstan,  coolly 
giving  the  orders  which  have  been  related,  and  gazing 
upward  with  an  interest  so  absorbed  as  to  render  him  un 
conscious  of  all  that  passed  around  his  person.  Ludlow 
saw  with  pain  that  blood  discolored  the  deck  at  his  feet, 


332  THE  WATER-WITCH. 

and  that  a  seaman  lay  dead  within  reach  of  his  arm.  The 
rent  plank  and  shattered  ceiling  showed  the  spot  where  the 
destructive  missile  had  entered. 

Compressing  his  lips  like  a  man  resolved,  the  commander 
of  the  Coquette  bent  farther  forward,  and  glanced  at  the 
wheel.  The  quartermaster,  who  held  the  spokes,  was  erect, 
steady,  and  kept  his  eye  on  the  leach  of  the  head-sail  as 
unerringly  as  the  needle  points  to  the  pole. 

These  were  the  observations  of  a  single  minute.  The 
different  circumstances  related  had  been  ascertained  with 
so  many  rapid  glances  of  the  eye,  and  they  had  even  been 
noted  without  losing  for  a  moment  the  knowledge  of  the 
precise  situation  of  La  Fontange.  The  latter  was  already 
in  stays.  It  became  necessary  to  meet  the  evolution  by 
another  as  prompt. 

The  order  was  no  sooner  given  than  the  Coquette,  as  if 
conscious  of  the  hazard  she  ran  of  being  raked,  whirled 
away  from  the  wind,  and,  by  the  time  her  adversary  was 
ready  to  deliver  her  other  broadside,  she  was  in  a  position 
to  return  it.  Again  the  ships  approached  each  other,  and 
once  more  they  exchanged  their  streams  of  fire  when 
abeam. 

Ludlow  now  saw,  through  the  smoke,  the  ponderous 
yard  of  La  Fontange  swinging  against  the  breeze,  and  the 
main-topsail  come  Happing  against  her  mast.  Swinging  off 
from  the  poop  by  a  backstay  that  had  been  shot  away  a 
moment  before,  he  alighted  on  the  quarter-deck  by  the  side 
of  the  master. 

"  Touch  all  the  braces  !  "  he  said  lustily,  but  still  speak 
ing  low  and  clearly  ;  "  give  a  drag  upon  the  bowlines — 
luff,  sir,  luff,  jam  the  ship  up  hard  against  the  wind  ! " 

The  clear  steady  answer  of  the  quartermaster  and  the 
manner  in  which  the  Coquette,  still  vomiting  her  sheets  of 
flame,  inclined  toward  the  breeze,  announced  the  prompti 
tude  of  the  subordinates.  In  another  minute,  the  vast 
volumes  of  smoke  which  enveloped  the  two  ships  joined, 
and  formed  one  white  and  troubled  cloud,  which  was  roll 
ing  swiftly  before  the  explosions,  over  the  surface  of  the 
sea,  but  which,  as  it  rose  higher  in  the  air,  sailed  gracefully 
to  the  leeward. 

Our  young  commander  passed  swiftly  through  the  batter 
ies,  spoke  encouragingly  to  his  people,  and  resumed  his 
post  on  the  poop.  The  stationary  position  of  La  Fontange, 
and  his  own  efforts  to  get  to  windward,  were  already  prov- 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  333 

ing  advantageous  to  Queen  Anne's  cruiser.  There  was 
some  indecision  on  the  part  of  the  other  ship,  which  in 
stantly  caught  the  eye  of  one  whose  readiness  in  his  pro 
fession  so  much  resembled  instinct. 

The  Chevalier  Dumont  had  amused  his  leisure  by  run 
ning  his  eyes  over  the  records  of  the  naval  history  of  his 
country,  where  he  had  found  this  and  that  commander  ap 
plauded  for  throwing  their  topsails  to  the  mast,  abreast  of 
their  enemies.  Ignorant  of  the  difference  between  a  ship 
in  line  Sid  one  engaged  singly,  he  had  determined  to  show 
himself  equal  to  a  similar  display  of  spirit.  At  the  moment 
when  Ludlow  was  standing  alone  on  the  poop,  watching 
with  vigilant  eyes  the  progress  of  his  own  vessel,  and  the 
position  of  his  enemy,  indicating  merely  by  a  look  or  a 
gesture,  to  the  attentive  Trysail  beneath,  what  he  wished 
done,  there  was  actually  a  wordy  discussion  on  the  quarter 
deck  of  the  latter,  between  the  mariner  of  Boulogne-sur-Mer 
and  the  gay  favorite  of  the  salons.  They  debated  on  the 
expediency  of  the  step  which  the  latter  had  taken  to  prove 
the  existence  of  a  quality  that  no  one  doubted.  The  time 
lost  in  this  difference  of  opinion  was  of  the  last  importance 
to  the  British  cruiser.  Standing  gallantly  on  she  was  soon 
out  of  the  range  of  her  adversary's  fire  ;  and,  before  Bou- 
lognois  had  succeeded  in  convincing  his  superior  of  his 
error,  their  antagonist  was  on  the  other  track,  and  luffing 
across  the  wake  of  La  Fontange.  The  topsail  was  then 
tardily  filled,  but  before  the  latter  ship  had  recovered  her 
motion,  the  sails  of  her  enemy  overshadowed  her  deck. 
There  was  now  every  prospect  of  the  Coquette  passing  to  the 
windward.  At  that  critical  moment,  the  fairsetting  topsail 
of  the  British  cruiser  was  nearly  rent  in  two  by  a  shot.  The 
ship  fell  off,  the  yards  interlocked,  and  the  vessels  were  foul. 

The  Coquette  had  all  the  advantage  of  position.  Per 
ceiving  the  important  fact  at  a  glance,  Ludlow  made  sure 
of  its  continuance  by  throwing  grapnels.  When  the  two 
ships  were  thus  firmly  lashed  together,  the  young  Dumont 
found  himself  relieved  from  a  mountain  of  embarrassment. 
Sufficiently  justified  by  the  fact  that  not  a  single  gun  of 
his  own  would  bear,  while  a  murderous  discharge  of  grape 
had  just  swept  along  his  decks,  he  issued  the  order  to 
board.  But  Ludlow  with  his  weakened  crew  had  not  de 
cided  on  so  hazardous  an  evolution  as  that  which  brought 
him  in  absolute  contact  with  his  enemy  without  foreseeing 
the  means  of  avoiding  all  the  consequences. 


334  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

The  vessels  touched  each  other  only  at  one  point,  ana 
this  spot  was  protected  by  a  row  of  muskets.  No  sooner, 
therefore,  did  the  impetuous  young  Frenchman  appear  on 
the  taffrail  of  his  own  ship,  supported  by  a  band  of  follow 
ers,  than  a  close  and  deadly  fire  swept  them  away  to  a 
man.  Young  Dumont  alone  remained.  For  a  single  mo 
ment,  his  eye  glared  wildly  ;  but  the  active  frame,  still 
obedient  to  the  governing  impulse  of  so  impetuous  a  spirit, 
leaped  onward.  He  fell,  without  life,  on  the  deck  of  his 
enemy. 

Ludlow  watched  every  movement,  with  a  calmness  that 
neither  personal  responsibility,  nor  the  uproar  and  rapid 
incidents  of  the  terrible  scene,  could  discompose. 

"  Now  is  our  time  to  bring  the  matter  hand  to  hand  !  " 
he  cried,  making  a  gesture  to  Trysail  to  descend  from  the 
ladder,  in  order  that  he  might  pass. 

His  arm  was  arrested,  and  the  grave  old  master  pointed 
to  windward. 

"There  is  no  mistaking  the  cut  of  those  sails,  or 
the  lofty  rise  of  the  spars.  The  stranger  is  another 
Frenchman  !  " 

One  glance  told  Ludlow  that  his  subordinate  was  right  ; 
another  sufficed  to  show  what  was  necessary. 

"  Cast  loose  the  forward  grapnel — cut  it — away  with  it, 
clear ! "  was  shouted,  through  his  trumpet,  in  a  voice  that 
rose  commanding  and  clear  amid  the  roar  of  the  combat. 

Released  forward,  the  stern  of  the  Coquette  yielded  to 
the  pressure  of  her  enemy,  whose  sails  were  all  drawing, 
and  she  was  soon  in  a  position  to  enable  her  head-yards 
to  be  braced  sharp  aback,  in  a  direction  opposite  to  the 
one  in  which  she  had  so  lately  lain.  The  whole  broadside 
was  then  delivered  into  the  stern  of  La  Fontange,  the  last 
grapnel  was  released,  and  the  ships  separated. 

The  single  spirit  which  presided  '  over  the  evolutions 
and  exertions  of  the  Coquette  still  governed  her  move 
ments.  The  sails  were  trimmed,  the  ship  was  got  in 
command,  and,  before  the  vessels  had  been  asunder  five 
minutes,  the  duty  of  the  vessel  was  in  its  ordinary  active 
but  noiseless  train. 

Nimble  topmen  were  on  the  yards,  and  broad  folds  of 
fresh  canvas  were  flapping  in  the  breeze,  as  the  new  sails 
were  bent  and  set.  Ropes  were  spliced,  or  supplied  by 
new  rigging,  the  spars  examined,  and,  in  fine,  all  that 
watchfulness  and  sedulous  care  were  observed  which  are 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  335 

necessary  to  the  efficiency  and  safety  of  a  ship.  Every 
spar  was  secured,  the  pumps  were  sounded,  and  the  vessel 
held  on  her  way,  as  steady  as  if  she  had  never  fired  or 
received  a  shot. 

On  the  other  hand,  La  Fontange  betrayed  the  indecision 
and  confusion  of  a  worsted  ship.  Her  torn  canvas  was 
blowing  about  in  disorder,  many  important  ropes  beat 
against  her  masts  unheeded,  and  the  vessel  itself  drove 
before  the  breeze  in  the  helplessness  of  a  wreck.  For 
several  minutes  there  seemed  no  controlling  mind  in  the 
fabric  ;  and  when,  after  so  much  distance  was  lost  as  to 
give  her  enemy  all  the  advantage  of  the  wind,  a  tardy 
attempt  was  made  to  bring  the  ship  up  again,  the  tallest 
and  most  important  of  her  masts  was  seen  tottering,  until 
it  finally  fell,  with  all  its  hamper,  into  the  sea. 

Notwithstanding  the  absence  of  so  many  of  his  people, 
success  would  now  have  been  certain  had  not  the  presence 
of  the  stranger  compelled  Ludlow  to  abandon  his  advan 
tage.  But  the  consequences  to  his  own  vessel  were  too 
sure  to  allow  of  more  than  a  natural  and  manly  regret 
that  so  favorable  an  occasion  should  escape  him.  The 
character  of  the  stranger  could  no  longer  be  mistaken. 
The  eye  of  everp  seaman  in  the  Coquette  as  well  under 
stood  the  country  of  the  high  and  narrow-headed  sails,  the 
tall  taper  masts,  and  short  yards  of  the  frigate  whose  hull 
was  now  distinctly  visible,  as  a  landsman  recognizes  an 
individual  by  the  distinguishing  marks  of  his  features  or 
attire.  Had  there  been  any  lingering  doubts  on  the  sub 
ject,  they  would  have  all  given  place  to  certainty  when 
the  stranger  was  seen  exchanging  signals  with  the  crippled 
corvette. 

It  was  now  time  for  Ludlow  to  come  to  a  speedy 
determination  on  his  future  course.  The  breeze  still  held 
to  the  southward,  but  it  was  beginning  to  lessen,  with 
every  appearance  that  it  would  fail  before  nightfall. 

The  land  lay  a  few  leagues  to  the  northward,  and  the 
whole  horizon  of  the  ocean,  with  the  exception  of  the 
two  French  cruisers,  was  clear.  Descending  to  the  quar 
ter-deck,  he  approached  the  master,  who  was  seated  in  a 
chair  while  the  surgeon  dressed  a  severe  hurt  in  one  of  his 
legs.  Shaking  the  sturdy  veteran  cordially  by  the  hand, 
he  expressed  his  acknowledgments  for  his  support  in  a 
moment  so  trying. 

"  God   bless   you  !  Captain  Ludlow,"    returned  the  old 


336  THE   WATER- WITCH. 

sailor,  dashing  his  hand  equivocally  across  his  weather- 
beaten  brow.  "  Battle  is  certainly  the  place  to  try  both 
ship  and  friends  ;  and,  Heaven  be  praised  !  Queen  Anne 
has  not  failed  of  either  this  day.  No  man  has  forgotten 
his  duty,  so  far  as  my  eyes  have  witnessed  ;  and  this  is  say 
ing  no  trifle,  with  half  a  crew  and  an  equal  enemy.  As  for 
the  ship,  she  never  behaved  better  !  I  had  my  misgivings 
when  I  saw  the  new  main-topsail  go,  which  it  did,  as  all 
here  know,  like  a  bit  of  rent  muslin  between  the  fingers  of 
a  seamstress.  Run  forward,  Mr.  Hopper,  and  tell  the  men 
in  the  fore  rigging  to  take  another  drag  on  that  swifter, 
and  to  be  careful  and  bring  the  strain  equal  on  all  the 
shrouds.  A  lively  youth,  Captain  Ludlow,  and  one  who 
only  wants  a  little  reflection,  with  some  more  experience, 
and  a  small  dash  of  modesty,  together  with  the  seamanship 
he  will  naturally  get  in  time,  to  make  a  very  tolerable 
officer." 

"  The  boy  promises  well  ;  but  I  have  come  to  ask  thy 
advice,  my  old  friend,  concerning  our  next  movements. 
There  is  no  doubt  that  the  fellow  who  is  coming  down 
upon  us  is  both  a  Frenchman  and  a  frigate." 

"  A  man  might  as  well  doubt  the  nature  of  a  fish-hawk, 
which  is  to  pick  up  all  the  small  fry  and  to  let  the  big 
ones  go.  We  might  show  him  our  canvas  and  try  the  open 
sea,  but  I  fear  that  fore-mast  is  too  weak,  with  three  such 
holes  in  it  to  bear  the  sail  we  shall  need !  " 

"  What  think  you  of  the  wind  ?  "  said  Ludlow,  affecting 
an  indecision  he  did  not  feel,  in  order  to  soothe  the  feel 
ings  of  his  wounded  companion.  "  Should  it  hold,  we 
might  double  Montauk,  and  return  for  the  rest  of  our  peo 
ple  ;  but  should  it  fail,  is  there  no  danger  that  the  frigate 
should  tow  within  shot !  We  have  no  boats  to  escape 
her." 

"  The  soundings  on  this  c^>ast  are  as  regular  as  the  roof 
of  an  out-house,"  said  the  master,  after  a  moment  of 
thought.  "  And  it  is  my  advice,  if  it  is  your  pleasure  to 
ask  it,  Captain  Ludlow,  that  we  shoal  our  water  as  much 
as  possible  while  the  wind  lasts.  Then  I  think  we  shall 
be  safe  from  a  very  near  visit  from  the  big  one.  As  for 
the  corvette,  I  am  of  opinion  that,  like  a  man  who  has 
eaten  his  dinner,  she  has  no  stomach  for  another  slice." 

Ludlow  applauded  the  advice  of  his  subordinate,  for  it 
was  precisely  what  he  had  determined  on  doing  ;  and  after 
again  complimenting  him  on  his  coolness  and  skill,  he 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  337 

issued  the  necessary  orders.  The  helm  of  the  Coquette 
was  now  placed  hard  a-weather,  the  yards  were  squared, 
and  the  ship  was  put  before  the  wind.  After  running  in 
this  direction  for  a  few  hours,  the  wind  gradually  lessen 
ing,  the  lead  announced  that  the  keel  was  quite  as  near 
the  bottom  as  the  time  of  the  tide  and  the  dull  heaving 
and  setting  of  the  element  rendered  at  all  prudent.  The 
breeze  soon  after  fell,  and  our  young  commander  ordered 
an  anchor  to  be  dropped  into  the  sea. 

His  example  in  the  latter  respect  was  imitated  by 
the  hostile  cruisers.  They  had  joined,  and  boats  were 
seen  passing  from  one  to  the  other  so  long  as  there  was 
light.  When  the  sun  fell  behind  the  western  margin  of 
the  ocean  their  dusky  outlines,  distant  about  a  league, 
gradually  grew  less  and  less  distinct,  until  the  darkness  of 
night  enveloped  sea  and  land  in  its  gloom. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

Now;  the  business! — Othello. 

THREE  hours  later,  and  every  voice  was  hushed  on  board 
the  royal  cruiser.  The  toil  of  repairing  damages  had  ceased  ; 
and  most  of  the  living,  with  the  dead,  lay  alike  in  common 
silence.  The  watchfulness  necessary  to  the  situation  of  the 
fatigued  mariners,  however,  \vas  not  forgotten  ;  and  though 
so  many  slept,  a  few  eyes  were  still  open,  affecting  to  be 
alert.  Here  and  there  some  drowsy  seaman  paced  the  deck 
or  a  solitary  young  officer  endeavored  to  keep  himself 
awake  by  humming  a  low  air  in  his  narrow  bounds.  The 
mass  of  the  crew  slept  heavily  with  pistols  in  their  belts 
and  cutlasses  at  their  sides,  between  the  guns.  There  was 
one  figure  extended  upon  the  quarter-deck,  with  the  head 
resting  on  a  shot-box.  The  deep  breathing  of  this  person 
denoted  the  unquiet  slumbers  of  a  powerful  frame,  in 
which  weariness  contended  with  suffering.  It  was  the 
wounded  and  feverish  master,  who  had  placed  himself  in 
that  position  to  catch  an  hour  of  repose  that  was  necessary 
to  his  situation.  On  an  arm-chest  which  had  been  emptied 
of  its  contents,  lay  another  but  a  motionless  human  form, 
with  the  limbs  composed  in  decent  order,  and  with  the  face 
turned  toward  the  melancholy  stars.  This  was  the  body  of 

22 


338  THE  WATER-WITCH. 

young  Dumont,  which  had  been  kept  with  the  intention  of 
consigning  it  to  consecrated  earth  when  the  ship  should 
return  to  port.  Ludlow,  with  the  delicacy  of  a  generous 
and  chivalrous  enemy,  had  with  his  own  hands  spread  the 
stainless  ensign  of  his  country  over  the  remains  of  the  in 
experienced  but  gallant  young  Frenchman. 

There  was  one  little  group  on  the  raised  deck  in  the 
stern  of  the  vessel,  in  which  the  ordinary  interests  of  life  still 
seemed  to  exercise  their  influence.  Hither  Ludlow  had  led 
Alida  and  her  companions,  after  the  duties  of  the  day  were 
over,  in  order  that  they  might  breathe  an  air  fresher  than 
that  of  the  interior  of  the  vessel.  The  negress  nodded  near 
her  young  mistress  ;  the  tired  Alderman  sat  with  his  back 
supported  against  the  mizzen-mast,  giving  audible  evidence 
of  his  situation  ;  and  Ludlow  stood  erect,  occasionally 
throwing  an  earnest  look  on  the  surrounding  and  unruffled 
waters,  then  lending  his  attention  to  the  discourse  of  his 
companions.  Alida  and  Seadrift  were  seated  near  each 
other,  on  chairs.  The  conversation  was  low,  while  the  mel 
ancholy  and  the  tremor  in  the  voice  of  la  belle  Barberie 
denoted  how  much  the  events  of  the  day  had  shaken  her 
usually  firm  and  spirited  mind. 

"  There  is  a  mingling  of  the  terrific  and  the  beautif  ul,of  the 
grand  and  the  seducing,  in  this  unquiet  profession  of  yours !" 
observed,  or  rather  continued,  Alida,  replying  to  a  previous 
remark  of  the  young  sailor.  "  That  tranquil  sea — rthe  hol 
low  sound  of  the  surf  on  the  shore — and  this  soft  canopy 
above  us,  form  objects  on  which  even  a  girl  might  dwell  in 
admiration,  were  not  her  ears  still  ringing  with  the  roars 
and  cries  of  the  combat.  Did  you  say  the  commander  of 
the  Frenchman  was  but  a  youth  ? " 

"  A  mere  boy  in  appearance,  and  one  who  doubtless 
owed  his  rank  to  the  advantages  of  birth  and  family.  We 
know  it  be  the  captain  by  his  dress,  no  less  than  by  the 
desperate  effort  he  made  to  recover  the  false  step  taken 
in  the  earlier  part  of  the  action." 

"  Perhaps  he  has  a  mother,  Ludlow  !  — a  sister — a  wife — 
or " 

Alida  paused,  for  with  maiden  diffidence  she  hesitated 
to  pronounce  the  tie  which  was  uppermost  in  her  thoughts. 

"  He  may  have  had  one  or  all !  Such  are  the  sailor's 
hazards,  and — 

"  Such  the  hazards  of  those  who  feel  an  interest  in  their 
safety !"  uttered  the  low  but  expressive  voice  of  Seadrift- 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  339 

An  eloquent  silence  succeeded.  Then  the  voice  of  Myn- 
dert  was  heard  muttering  indistinctly,  "  Twenty  of  beaver, 
and  three  of  marten — as  per  invoice." 

The  smile  which,  spite  of  the  train  of  his  thoughts,  rose 
on  the  lips  of  Ludlow,  had  scarcely  passed  away,  when  the 
hoarse  tones  of  Trysail,  rendered  still  hoarser  by  his  sleep, 
\vere  plainly  heard  in  a  stifled  cry,  saying,  "  Bear  a  hand 
there  with  your  stoppers  !  The  Frenchman  is  coming  round 
upon  us  again." 

"  That  is  prophetic  !  "  said  one,  aloud,  behind  the  listen 
ing  group.  Ludlow  turned,  quick  as  the  flag  fluttering  on 
its  vane,  and  through  the  darkness  he  recognized,  in  the 
motionless  but  manly  form  that  stood  before  him  on  the 
poop,  the  fine  person  of  the  Skimmer  of  the  Seas. 

"  Call  away " 

"  Call  none  ! "  interrupted  Tiller,  stopping  the  hurried 
order  which  involuntarily  broke  from  the  lips  of  Ludlow. 
"Let  thy  ship  feign  the  silence  of  a  wreck,  but,  in  truth, 
let  there  be  watchfulness  and  preparation  even  to  her  store 
room  !  You  have  done  well,  Captain  Ludlow,  to  be  on  the 
alert,  though  I  have  known  sharper  eyes  than  those  of  some 
of  your  lookouts." 

"Whence  come  you,  audacious  man,  and  what  mad  er 
rand  has  brought  you  again  to  the  deck  of  my  ship  !  " 

"  I  come  from  my  habitation  on  the  sea.  My  business 
here  is  warning  !  " 

"  The  sea  ! "  echoed  Ludlow,  gazing  about  him  at  the 
narrow  and  empty  view.  "  The  hour  for  mockery  is  past, 
and  you  would  do  well  to  trifle  no  more  with  those  who 
have  serious  duties  to  discharge." 

"  The  hour  is  indeed  one  for  serious  duties — duties  more 
serious  than  any  you  apprehend.  But  before  I  enter  on 
explanation,  there  must  be  conditions  between  us.  You 
have  one  of  the  sea-green  lady's  servitors  here  ;  I  claim  his 
liberty  for  my  secret." 

"  The  error  into  which  I  had  fallen  exists  no  longer,"  re 
turned  Ludlow,  looking  for  an  instant  toward  the  shrink 
ing  form  of  Seadrift.  "  My  conquest  is  worthless,  unless 
you  come  to  supply  his  place." 

"  I  come  for  other  purposes — here  is  one  who  knows  I 
do  not  trifle  when  urgent  affairs  are  on  hand.  Let  thy 
companions  retire,  that  I  may  speak  openly." 

Ludlow  hesitated,  for  he  had  not  yet  recovered  from  the 
surprise  of  finding  the  redoubtable  freetrader  so  unex- 


340  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

pectedly  on  the  deck  of  his  ship.  But  Alida  and  her  com 
panion  arose  like  those  who  had  more  confidence  in  their 
visitor,  and,  arousing  the  negress  from  her  sleep,  they  de 
scended  the  ladder  and  entered  the  cabin.  When  Lud- 
low  found  himself  alone  with  Tiller  he  demanded  an 
explanation. 

"  It  shall  not  be  withheld,  for  time  presses,  and  that 
which  is  to  be  done  must  be  done  with  a  seaman's  care  and 
coolness,"  returned  the  other.  "You  have  had  a  close 
brush  on  one  of  Louis'  rovers,  Captain  Ludlow,  and  pret 
tily  was  the  ship  of  Queen  Anne  handled  !  Have  your  peo 
ple  suffered,  and  are  you  still  strong  enough  to  make  good 
a  defence  worthy  of  your  conduct  this  morning  ?" 

"  These  are  facts  you  would  have  me  utter  to  the  ear  of 
one  who  may  be  false — even  a  spy  !  " 

"  Captain  Ludlow — but  circumstances  warrant  thy  sus 
picions  ?" 

"  One  whose  vessel  and  life  I  have  threatened — an  out 
law  !  " 

"This  is  too  true,"  returned  the  Skimmer  of  the  Seas, 
suppressing  the  sudden  impulse  of  pride  and  resentment. 
"  I  am  threatened  and  pursued — I  am  a  smuggler  and  an 
outlaw  ;  still  am  I  human  !  You  see  that  dusky  object 
which  borders  the  sea  to  the  northward  ?  " 

"  It  is  too  plainly  land  to  be  mistaken." 

"  Land,  and  the  land  of  my  birth !  the  earliest,  perhaps  I 
may  say  the  happiest  of  my  days,  were  passed  on  that  long 
and  narrow  island." 

"  Had  I  known  it  earlier,  there  would  have  been  a  closer 
look  among  its  bays  and  inlets." 

"The  search  might  have  been  rewarded.  A  cannon 
would  easily  throw  its  shot  from  this  deck  to  the  spot 
where  my  brigantine  now  lies,  snug  at  a  single  anchor." 

"  Unless  you  have  swept  her  near  since  the  setting  of 
the  sun,  that  is  impossible  !  When  the  night  drew  on, 
nothing  was  in  view  but  the  frigate  and  corvette  of  the 
enemy." 

"  We  have  not  stirred  a  fathom  ;  yet  true  as  the  word  of 
a  fearless  man,  there  lies  the  vessel  of  the  sea-green  lady. 
You  see  the  place  where  the  beach  falls — here,  at  the  near 
est  point  of  the  land — the  island  is  nearly  severed  by  the 
water  at  that  spot,  and  the  Water-Witch  is  safe  in  the 
depths  of  the  bay  which  enters  from  the  northward.  There 
is  not  a  mile  between  us.  From  the  eastern  hill  I  wit- 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  341 

nessed  your  spirit  this  day,  Captain  Ludlow,  and  though 
condemned  in  person,  I  felt  that  the  heart  could  never  be 
outlawed.  There  is  a  fealty  here  that  can  survive  even  the 
persecutions  of  the  custom-houses." 

"  You  are  happy  in  your  terms,  sir.  I  will  not  conceal 
that  I  think  a  seaman,  even  as  skilful  as  yourself,  must 
allow  that  the  Coquette  was  kept  prettily  in  command." 

"  No  pilot-boat  could  have  been  more  sure  or  more 
lively.  I  knew  your  weakness,  for  the  absence  of  all  your 
boats  was  no  secret  to  me  ;  and  I  confess  I  could  have 
spared  some  of  the  profits  of  the  voyage  to  have  been  on 
your  decks  this  day  \vith  a  dozen  of  my  truest  fellows  !  " 

"  A  man  who  can  feel  this  loyalty  to  the  flag  should  find 
a  more  honorable  occupation  for  his  usual  life." 

"A  country  that  can  inspire  it  should  be  cautious  not  to 
estrange  the  affections  of  its  children  by  monopolies  and 
injustice.  But  these  are  discussions  unsuited  to  the  mo 
ment.  I  am  doubly  your  countryman  in  this  strait,  and 
all  the  past  is  no  more  than  the  rough  liberties  which 
friends  take  with  each  other.  Captain  Ludlow,  there  is 
danger  brooding  in  that  dark  void  which  lies  to  sea 
ward  !  " 

"  On  what  authority  do  you  speak  thus  ? " 

"  Sight.  I  have  been  among  your  enemies  and  seen 
their  deadly  preparations.  I  know  the  caution  is  given  to 
a  brave  man,  and  nothing  shall  be  extenuated.  You  have 
need  of  all  your  resolution  and  of  every  arm — for  they 
will  be  upon  you  in  overwhelming  numbers  !  " 

"  True  or  false,  thy  warning  shall  not  be  neglected." 

"  Hold  ! "  said  the  Skimmer,  arresting  a  forward  move 
ment  of  his  companion  with  his  hand.  "  Let  them  sleep  to 
the  last  moment.  You  have  yet  an  hour,  and  rest  will  re 
new  their  strength.  You  may  trust  the  experience  of  a 
seaman  who  has  past  half  of  the  life  of  man  on  the 
ocean,  and  who  has  witnessed  all  its  most  stirring  scenes, 
from  the  conflict  of  the  elements  to  every  variety  of  strife 
that  man  has  invented  to  destroy  his  fellows.  For  another 
hour  you  will  be  secure.  After  that  hour  God  protect  the 
unprepared  !  and  God  be  merciful  to  him  whose  minutes 
are  numbered  ! " 

"  Thy  language  and  manner  are  those  of  one  who  deals 
honestly,"  returned  Ludlow,  struck  by  the  apparent  sin 
cerity  of  the  freetrader's  communication.  "  In  every  event 
we  shall  be  ready,  though  the  manner  of  your  having 


342  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

gained  this  knowledge  is  as  great  a  mystery  as  your  having 
appeared  on  the  deck  of  my  ship." 

"  Both  can  be  explained,"  returned  the  Skimmer,  mo 
tioning  to  his  companion  to  follow  to  the  taffrail.  Here  he 
pointed  to  a  small  and  nearly  imperceptible  skiff,  which 
floated  at  the  bottom  of  a  stern-ladder,  and  continued — 
"  One  who  so  often  pays  secret  visits  to  the  land  can  never 
be  in  want  of  the  means.  This  nut-shell  was  easily  trans 
ported  across  the  narrow  strip  of  land  that  separates  the 
bay  from  the  ocean  ;  and  though  the  surf  moans  so  hoarsely, 
it  is  easily  passed  by  a  steady  and  dexterous  oarsman.  I  have 
been  under  the  martingale  of  the  Frenchman,  and  you  see 
that  I  am  here.  If  your  lookouts  are  less  alert  than  usual, 
you  will  remember  that  a  low  gunwale,  a  dusky  side,  and  a 
muffled  oar  are  not  readily  detected  when  the  eye  is  heavy 
and  the  body  wearied.  I  must  now  quit  you — unless  you 
think  it  more  prudent  to  send  those  who  can  be  of  no  ser 
vice  out  of  the  ship  before  the  trial  shall  come  ? " 

Ludlow  hesitated.  A  strong  desire  to  put  Alida  in  a 
place  of  safety  was  met  by  his  distrust  of  the  smuggler's 
faith.  He  reflected  a  moment  ere  he  answered  : 

"  Your  cockle-shell  is  not  sufficiently  secure  for  more  than 
its  owner.  Go,  and  as  you  prove  loyal,  may  you  prosper  !  " 

"  Abide  the  blow  !  "  said  the  Skimmer,  grasping  his  hand. 
He  then  stepped  carelessly  on  the  dangling  ropes,  and  de 
scended  into  the  boat  beneath.  Ludlow  watched  his  move 
ments  with  an  intense  and  possibly  with  a  distrustful  curi 
osity. 

When  seated  at  the  sculls,  the  person  of  the  freetrader 
was  nearly  indistinct ;  and  as  the  boat  glided  noiselessly 
away,  the  young  commander  no  longer  felt  disposed  to 
censure  those  who  had  permitted  its  approach  without  a 
warning.  In  less  than  a  minute  the  dusky  object  was  con 
founded  with  the  surface  of  the  sea. 

Left  to  himself,  the  young  commander  of  the  Coquette 
seriously  reflected  on  what  had  passed.  The  manner  of 
the  Skimmer,  the  voluntary  character  of  his  communica 
tion,  its  probability,  and  the  means  by  which  his  knowledge 
had  been  obtained,  united  to  confirm  his  truth.  Instances 
of  similar  attachment  to  their  flag,  in  seamen  whose  ordi 
nary  pursuits  were  opposed  to  its  interests,  were  not  un 
common.  Their  misdeeds  resemble  the  errors  of  passion 
and  temptation,  while  the  momentary  return  to  better 
things  is  the  inextinguishable  impulse  of  nature. 


THE   WATER- WITCH.  343 

The  admonition  of  the  freetrader,  who  had  enjoined  the 
Captain  to  allow  his  people  to  sleep,  was  remembered. 
Twenty  times,  within  as  many  minutes,  did  our  young  sailor 
examine  his  watch  to  note  the  tardy  passage  of  the  time  ; 
as  often  did  he  return  it  to  his  pocket  with  a  determination 
to  forbear.  At  length  he  descended  to  the  quarter-deck, 
and  drew  near  the  only  form  that  was  erect.  The  watch 
was  commanded  by  a  youth  of  sixteen,  wrhose  regular  period 
of  probationary  service  had  not  passed,  but  who,  in  the 
absence  of  his  superiors,  was  intrusted  with  this  delicate 
and  important  duty.  He  stood  leaning  against  the  capstan, 
one  hand  supporting  his  cheek,  while  the  elbow  rested 
against  the  drum,  and  the  body  was  without  motion.  Lud- 
IOWT  regarded  him  a  moment  ;  then,  lifting  a  lighted  battle- 
lantern  to  his  face,  he  saw  that  he  slept.  Without  disturb 
ing  the  delinquent,  the  Captain  replaced  the  lantern  and 
passed  forward.  In  the  gangway  there  stood  a  marine, 
with  his  musket  shouldered,  in  an  attitude  of  attention. 
As  Ludlow  brushed  within  a  few  inches  of  his  eyes,  it  was 
easy  to  be  seen  that  they  opened  and  shut  involuntarily, 
and  without  consciousness  of  what  lay  before  them.  On 
the  top-gallant  forecastle  was  a  short,  square  and  well- 
balanced  figure,  that  stood  without  support  of  any  kind, 
with  both  arms  thrust  into  the  bosom  of  a  jacket,  and  a 
head  that  turned  slowly  to  the  west  and  south,  as  if  it  were 
examining  the  ocean  in  those  directions. 

Stepping  lightly  up  the  ladder,  Ludlow  saw  that  it  was 
the  veteran  seaman  who  was  rated  as  the  Captain  of  the 
forecastle. 

"  I  am  glad,  at  last,  to  find  one  pair  of  eyes  open  in  my 
ship,"  said  the  Captain.  "Of  the  whole  watch,  you  alone 
are  alert." 

**  I  have  doubled  cape  fifty,  your  honor,  and  the  seaman 
who  has  made  that  voyage  rarely  .wants  the  second  call  of 
the  boatswain.  Young  heads  have  young  eyes,  and  sleep 
is  next  to  food,  after  a  heavy  drag  at  gun-tackles  and  lan 
yards." 

"  What  draws  your  attention  so  steadily  in  that  quarter  ? 
There  is  nothing  visible  but  the  haze  of  the  sea." 

" 'Tis  the  direction  of  the  Frenchman,  sir — does  your 
honor  hear  nothing  ? " 

"  Nothing,"  said  Ludlow,  after  intently  listening  for  half 
a  minute.  "  Nothing,  unless  it  be  the  wash  of  the  surf  on 
the  beach." 


344  THE  WATER-WITCH. 

11  It  may  be  'only  fancy,  but  there  came  a  sound  like  the 
fall  of  an  oar-blade  on  a  thwart,  and  'tis  but  natural,  your 
honor,  to  expect  the  Mounsheer  will  be  out,  in  this  smooth 
water,  to  see  what  has  become  of  us.  There  went  the  flash 
of  a  light,  or  my  name  is  not  Bob  Gleet ! " 

Ludlow  was  silent.  A  light  was  certainly  visible  in  the 
quarter  where  the  enemy  was  known  to  be  anchored,  and 
it  came  and  disappeared  like  a  moving  lantern.  At  length 
it  was  seen  to  descend  slowly,  and  vanish  as  if  it  were  ex 
tinguished  in  the  water. 

"  That  lantern  went  into  a  boat,  Captain  Ludlow,  though 
a  lubber  carried  it  ! "  said  the  positive  old  forecastle-man, 
shaking  his  head,  and  beginning  to  pace  across  the  deck 
with  the  air  of  a  man  who  needed  no  further  confirmation 
of  his  suspicions. 

Ludlow  returned  toward  the  quarter-deck,  thoughtful 
but  calm.  He  passed  among  his  sleeping  crew  without 
awaking  a  man,  even  forbearing  to  touch  the  still  motion 
less  midshipman,  and  he  entered  his  cabin  without  speak 
ing. 

The  commander  of  the  Coquette  was  absent  but  a  few 
minutes.  When  he  again  appeared  on  deck,  there  was 
more  of  decision  and  preparation  in  his  manner. 

"  'Tis  time  to  call  the  watch,  Mr.  Reef,"  he  whispered  at 
the  elbow  of  the  drowsy  officer  of  the  deck,  without  be 
traying  his  consciousness  of  the  youth's  forgetfulness  of 
duty.  "The  glass  is  out." 

"Aye,  aye,  sir.  Bear  a  hand,  and  turn  the  glass  !"  mut 
tered  the  young  man.  "A  fine  night,  sir,  and  a  very 
smooth  water.  I  was  just  thinking  of " 

"  Home  and  thy  mother  !  Tis  the  way  with  us  all  in 
youth.  Well,  we  have  now  something  else  to  occupy  the 
thoughts.  Muster  all  the  gentlemen  here,  on  the  quarter 
deck,  sir." 

When  the  half-sleeping  midshipman  quitted  his  Captain 
to  obey  this  order,  the  latter  drew  near  the  spot  where  Try 
sail  still  lay  in  an  unquiet  sleep.  A  light  touch  of  a  single 
finger  was  sufficient  to  raise  the  master  on  his  feet.  The 
first  look  of  the  veteran  tar  was  aloft,  the  second  at  the 
heavens,  the  last  at  his  Captain. 

"  I  fear  thy  wound  stiffens,  and  that  the  night  air  has 
added  to  the  pain  ? "  observed  the  latter,  speaking  in  a  kind 
and  considerate  tone. 

"  The  wounded  spar  cannot  be  trusted  like  a  sound  stick, 


THE   IV ATE R- 

Captain  Ludlow  ;  but  as  I  am  no  foo 

the  duty  of  the  ship  may  go  on  without  In^rSFffifglor  a 

horse." 

"  I  rejoice  in  thy  cheerful  spirit,  my  old  friend,  for  here 
is  serious  work  likely  to  fall  upon  our  hands.  The  French 
men  are  in  their  boats,  and  we  shall  shortly  be  brought  to 
close  quarters,  or  prognostics  are  false." 

"  Boats!"  repeated  the  master.  "I  had  rather  it  were 
under  our  canvas  with  a  stiff  breeze  !  The  play  of  this  ship 
is  a  lively  foot  and  a  touching  leach  ;  but,  when  it  comes 
to  boats,  a  marine  is  nearly  as  good  a  man  as  a  quarter 
master  ! " 

"  We  must  take  fortune  as  it  offers.  Here  is  our  council ! 
It  is  composed  of  young  heads,  but  of  hearts  that  might  do 
credit  to  gray  hairs." 

Ludlow  joined  the  little  group  of  officers  that  was  by 
this  time  assembled  near  the  capstan.  Here,  in  a  few 
words,  he  explained  the  reason  why  he  had  summoned 
them  from  their  sleep.  When  each  of  the  youths  under 
stood  his  orders,  and  the  nature  of  the  new  danger  that 
threatened  the  ship,  they  separated,  and  began  to  enter 
with  activity,  but  in  guarded  silence,  on  the  necessary 
preparations.  The  sound  of  footsteps  awoke  a  dozen  of 
the  older  seamen,  who  immediately  joined  their  officers. 

Half  an  hour  passed  like  a  moment  in  such  an  occupa 
tion.  At  the  end  of  that  time  Ludlow  deemed  his  ship 
ready.  The  two  forward  guns  had  been  run  in,  and  the 
shot  having  been  drawn,  their  places  were  supplied  with 
double  charges  of  grape  and  canister.  Several  swivels,  a 
species  of  armament  much  used  in  that  age,  were  loaded 
to  the  muzzles,  and  placed  in  situations  to  rake  the  deck, 
while  the  foretop  was  plentifully  stored  with  arms  and 
ammunition.  The  matches  were  prepared,  and  the  whole 
of  the  crew  wras  mustered  by  a  particular  call  of  each  man. 
Five  minutes  sufficed  to  issue  the  necessary  orders,  and  to 
see  each  post  occupied.  After  this  the  low  hum  ceased  in 
the  ship,  and  the  silence  again  became  so  deep  and  general 
that  the  wash  of  the  receding  surf  was  nearly  as  audible  as 
the  plunge  of  the  wave  on  the  sands. 

Ludlow  stood  on  the  forecastle,  accompanied  by  the 
master.  Here  he  lent  all  his  senses  to  the  appearance  of 
the  elements,  and  to  the  signs  of  the  moment.  Wind  there 
was  none,  though  occasionally  a  breath  of  hot  air  came 
from  the  land,  like  the  first  efforts  of  the  night  breeze. 


346  THE  WATER-WITCH. 

The  heavens  were  clouded,  though  a  few  thoughtful  stars 
glimmered  between  the  masses  of  vapor. 

"  A  calmer  night  never  shut  in  the  Americas  !  "  said  the 
veteran  Trysail,  shaking  his  head  doubtingly,  and  speak 
ing  in  a  cautious  tone.  "  I  am  one  of  those,  Captain  Lud- 
low,  who  think  more  than  half  the  virtue  is  out  of  a  ship 
when  her  anchor  is  down  !  " 

"  With  a  weakened  crew  it  may  be  better  for  us  that  the 
people  have  no  yards  to  handle,  nor  any  bowlines  to  steady. 
All  our  care  can  be  given  to  defence." 

"  This  is  much  like  telling  the  hawk  he  can  fight  the 
better  with  clipped  wing,  since  he  has  not  the  trouble  of 
flying  !  The  nature  of  a  ship  is  motion,  and  the  merit  of 
a  seaman  is  judicious  and  lively  handling  ;  but  of  what  use 
is  complaining,  since  it  will  neither  lift  an  anchor  or  fill  a 
sail  ?  What  is  your  opinion,  Captain  Ludlow,  concerning 
an  after-life,  and  all  of  those  matters  one  occasionally  hears 
of  if  he  happens  to  drift  in  the  way  of  a  church  ? " 

"  The  question  is  broad  as  the  ocean,  my  good  friend, 
and  a  fitting  answer  might  lead  us  into  abstrusities  deeper 
than  any  in  our  trigonometry.  Was  that  the  stroke  of  an 
oar  ? " 

"  'Twas  a  land  noise.  Well,  I  am  no  great  navigator 
among  the  channels  of  religion.  Every  new  argument  is  a 
sand-bar,  or  a  shoal,  that  obliges  me  to  tack  and  stand  off 
again,  else  I  might  have  been  a  bishop,  for  anything  the 
world  knows  to  the  contrary.  'Tis  a  gloomy  night,  Cap 
tain  Ludlow,  and  one  that  is  sparing  of  its  stars.  I  never 
knew  luck  come  of  an  expedition  on  which  a  natural  light 
did  not  fall  !  " 

"  So  much  the  worse  for  those  who  seek  to  harm  us.  I 
surely  heard  an  oar  in  the  rowlock  !  " 

"  It  came  from  the  shore  and  had  the  sound  of  the  land 
about  it,"  quietly  returned  the  master,  who  still  kept  his 
eye  riveted  on  the  heavens.  "  This  world  in  which  we 
live,  Captain  Ludlow,  is  one  of  extraordinary  uses  ;  but 
that  to  which  we  are  steering  is  still  more  unaccountable. 
They  say  that  worlds  are  sailing  above  us  like  ships  in  a 
clear  sea  ;  and  there  are  people  who  believe  that,  when  we 
take  our  departure  from  this  planet,  we  are  only  bound  to 
another,  in  which  we  are  to  be  rated  according  to  our  own 
deeds  here,  which  is  much  the  same  as  being  drafted  for  a 
new  ship  with  a  certificate  of  service  in  one's  pocket." 

"The  resemblance  is  perfect,"  returned  the  other,  lean- 


THE   WATER- WITCH. 


347 


ing  far  over  the  timber-head  to  catch  the  smallest  sound 
that  might  come  from  the  ocean.  "  That  was  no  more 
than  the  blowing  of  a  porpoise  !  " 

"  It  was  strong  enough  for  the  puff  of  a  whale.  There 
is  no  scarcity  of  big  fish  on  the  coast  of  this  island,  and 
bold  harpooners  are  the  men  who  are  scattered  about  on 
the  sandy  downs,  here-away,  to  the  northward.  I  once 
sailed  with  an  officer  who  knew  the  name  of  every  star  in 
the  heavens,  and  often  have  I  passed  hours  in  listening  to 
his  history  of  their  magnitude  and  character,  during  the 
middle  watches.  It  was  his  opinion  that  there  is  but  one 
navigator  for  all  the  rovers  of  the  air,  whether  meteors, 
comets,  or  planets." 

"  No  doubt  he  must  be  right,  having  been  there." 

"  No,  that  is  more  than  I  can  say  for  him,  though  few 
men  have  gone  deeper  into  the  high  latitudes  on  both  sides 
of  our  own  equator,  than  he.  One  surely  spoke — here, 
in  a  line  with  yonder  low  star  ! " 

"Was  it  not  a  water-fowl  ? " 

"  No  gull — ha  !  here  we  have  the  object  just  within  the 
starboard  jib-boom-guy.  There  comes  the  Frenchman  in 
his  pride,  and  'twill  be  lucky  for  him  who  lives  to  count 
the  slain,  or  to  boast  of  his  deeds  ! " 

The  master  descended  from  the  forecastle,  and  passed 
among  the  crew,  with  every  thought  recalled  from  its 
excursive  flight  to  the  duty  of  the  moment.  Ludlow  con 
tinued  on  the  forecastle  alone.  There  was  a  low,  whisper 
ing  sound  in  the  ship,  like  that  which  is  made  by  the  mur 
muring  of  a  rising  breeze — then  all  was  still  as  death. 

The  Coquette  lay  with  her  head  to  seaward,  the  stern 
necessarily  pointing  toward  the  land.  The  distance  from 
the  latter  was  less  than  a  mile,  and  the  direction  of  the 
ship's  hull  was  caused  by  the  course  of  the  heavy  ground- 
swell,  which  incessantly  rolled  the  waters  on  the  wide 
beach  of  the  island  The  head-gear  lay  in  the  way  of  the 
dim  view ;  and  Ludlow  walked  out  on  the  bowsprit,  in 
order  that  nothing  should  lie  between  him  and  the  part  of 
the  ocean  he  wished  to  study.  Here  he  had  not  stood  a 
minute  when  he  caught,  first 'a  confused  and  then  a  more 
distinct  glimpse  of  a  line  of  dark  objects,  advancing  sloAvly 
toward  the  ship.  Assured  of  the  position  of  his  enemy, 
he  returned  in-board  and  descended  among  his  people.  In 
another  moment  he  was  again  on  the  forecastle,  across 
which  he  paced  leisurely,  and,  to  all  appearance,  with  the 


348  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

calmness  of  one  who  enjoyed  the  refreshing  coolness  of  the 
night. 

At  the  distance  of  a  hundred  fathoms,  the  dusky  line  of 
boats  paused  and  began  to  change  its  order.  At  that  in 
stant  the  first  puffs  of  the  land-breeze  were  felt,  and  the 
stern  of  the  ship  made  a  gentle  inclination  seaward. 

"  Help  her  with  the  mizzen  !  Let  fall  the  topsail !  " 
whispered  the  young  Captain  to  those  beneath  him.  Ere 
another  moment  the  flap  of  the  loosened  sail  was  heard. 
The  ship  swung  still  farther,  and  Ludlow  stamped  on  the 
deck. 

A  round  fiery  light  shot  beyond  the  martingale,  and  the 
smoke  rolled  along  the  sea,  outstripped  by  a  crowd  of 
missiles  that  were  hissing  across  the  \vater.  A  shout,  in 
which  command  was  mingled  with  shrieks,  followed,  and 
oar-blades  were  heard  dashing  the  water  aside  regardless 
of  concealment.  The  ocean  lighted,  and  three  or  four 
boat-guns  returned  the  fatal  discharge  from  the  ship. 
Ludlow  had  not  spoken.  Still  alone  on  his  elevated  and 
exposed  post,  he  watched  the  effects  of  both  fires  with  a 
commander's  coolness.  The  smile  that  struggled  about 
his  compressed  mouth,  when  the  momentary  confusion 
among  the  boats  betrayed  the  success  of  his  own  attack, 
had  been  wild  and  exulting ;  but  when  he  heard  the  rend 
ing  of  the  plank  beneath  him,  the  heavy  groans  that  suc 
ceeded,  and  the  rattling  of  lighter  objects  that  were  scat 
tered  by  the  shot  as  it  passed  with  lessened  force  along 
the  deck  of  his  ship,  it  became  fierce  and  resentful. 

"  Let  them  have  it  !  "  he  shouted,  in  a  clear,  animating 
voice,  that  assured  the  people  of  his  presence  and  his  care. 
"  Show  them  the  humor  of  an  Englishman's  sleep,  my  lads ! 
Speak  to  them,  tops  and  decks  !  " 

The  order  was  obeyed.  The  remaining  bow-gun  was 
fired,  and  the  discharge  of  all  the  Coquette's  musketry  and 
blunderbusses  followed.  A  crowd  of  boats  came  sweeping 
under  the  bowsprit  of  the  ship  at  the  same  moment,  when 
there  arose  the  clamor  and  shouts  of  the  boarders. 

The  succeeding  minutes  were  full  of  confusion,  and  of 
devoted  exertion.  Twice  were  the  head  and  bowsprit  of 
the  ship  filled  with  dark  groups  of  men,  whose  grim  vis 
ages  were  only  visible  by  the  pistol's  flash  ;  as  often  were 
they  cleared  by  the  pike  and  bayonet.  A  third  effort  was 
more  successful,  and  the  tread  of  the  assailants  was  heard 
on  the  deck  of  the  forecastle.  The  struggle  was  but  mo- 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  349 

mentary,  though  many  fell,  and  the  narrow  arena  was  soon 
slippery  with  blood.  The  Boulognese  mariner  was  fore 
most  among  his  countrymen,  and  at  that  desperate  emer 
gency  Ludlow  and  Trysail  fought  in  the  common  herd. 
Numbers  prevailed  ;  and  it  was  fortunate  for  the  commander 
of  the  Coquette,  that  the  sudden  recoil  of  a  human  body 
that  fell  upon  him,  drove  him  from  his  footing  to  the  deck 
beneath. 

Recovering  from  the  fall,  the  young  Captain  cheered  his 
men  by  his  voice,  and  was  answered  by  the  deep-mouthed 
shouts  which  an  excited  seaman  is  ever  ready  to  deliver, 
even  to  the  death. 

"  Rally  in  the  gangways,  and  defy  them  !  "  was  the  ani 
mated  cry.  "  Rally  in  the  gangways,  hearts  of  oak,"  was 
returned  by  Trysail,  in  a  ready  but  weakened  voice.  The 
men  obeyed,  and  Ludlow  saw  that  he  could  still  muster  a 
force  capable  of  resistance. 

Both  parties  for  a  moment  paused.  The  fire  of  the  top 
annoyed  the  boarders,  and  the  defendants  hesitated  to  ad 
vance.  But  the  rush  from  both  was  common,  and  a  fierce 
encounter  occurred  at  the  foot  of  the  foremast.  The  crowd 
thickened  in  the  rear  of  the  French,  and  one  of  their  num 
ber  no  sooner  fell  than  another  filled  his  place.  The  Eng 
lish  receded,  and  Ludlow,  extricating  himself  from  the 
mass,  retired  to  the  quarter-deck. 

"  Give  way,  men  !  "  he  again  shouted,  so  clear  and  steady, 
as  to  be  heard  above  the  cries  and  execrations  of  the  fight. 
"  Into  the  wings  ;  down — between  the  guns — down — to 
your  covers  !  " 

The  English  disappeared,  as  if  by  magic.  Some  leaped 
upon  the  ridge-ropes,  others  sought  the  protection  of  the 
guns,  and  many  went  through  the  hatches.  At  that  mo 
ment  Ludlow  made  his  most  desperate  effort.  Aided  by 
the  gunner,  he  applied  matches  to  the  two  swivels,  which 
had  been  placed  in  readiness  for  a  last  resort.  The  deck 
was  enveloped  in  smoke,  and,  when  the  vapor  lifted,  the 
forward  part  of  the  ship  was  as  clear  as  if  man  had  never 
trodden  it.  All  who  had  not  fallen,  had  vanished. 

A  shout,  and  a  loud  hurrah,  brought  back  the  defendants, 
and  Ludlow  headed  a  charge  upon  the  topgallant-fore 
castle,  again,  in  person.  A  few  of  the  assailants  showed 
themselves  from  behind  covers  on  the  deck,  and  the  strug 
gle  was  renewed.  Glaring  balls  of  fire  sailed  over  the 
heads  of  the  combatants,  ancMell  among  the  throng  in  the 


350  THE   WATER-WITCPL 

rear.  Ludlow  saw  the  danger,  and  he  endeavored  to  urge 
his  people  on  to  regain  the  bow-guns,  one  of  which  was 
known  to  be  loaded.  But  the  explosion  of  a  grenade  on 
deck,  and  in  his  rear,  was  followed  by  a  shock  in  the  hold, 
that  threatened  to  force  the  bottom  out  of  the  vessel.  The 
alarmed  and  weakened  crew  blgan  to  waver  ;  and  as  a 
fresh  attack  of  grenades  was  followed  by  a  fierce  rally,  in 
which  the  assailants  brought  up  fifty  men  in  a  body  from 
their  boats,  Ludlow  found  himself  compelled  to  retire  amid 
the  retreating  mass  of  his  own  crew. 

The  defence  now  assumed  the  character  of  hopeless  but 
desperate  resistance.  The  cries  of  the  enemy  were  more 
and  more  clamorous  ;  and  they  succeeded  in  nearly  silenc 
ing  the  top,  by  a  heavy  fire  of  musketry  established  on  the 
bowsprit  and  spritsail-yard. 

Events  passed  much  faster  than  they  can  be  related.  The 
enemy  were  in  possession  of  all  the  forward  part  of  the 
ship  to  her  fore-hatches,  but  into  these  young  Hopper  had 
thrown  himself,  with  half  a  dozen  men,  and,  aided  by  a 
brother  midshipman  in  the  launch,  backed  by  a  few  fol 
lowers,  they  still  held  the  assailants  at  bay.  Ludlow  cast 
an  eye  behind  him,  and  began  to  think  of  selling  his  life 
as  dearly  as  possible  in  the  cabins.  That  glance  was 
arrested  by  the  sight  of  the  malign  smile  of  the  sea-green 
lady,  as  the  gleaming  face  rose  above  the  taffrail.  A  dozen 
dark  forms  leaped  upon  the  poop,  and  then  arose  a  voice 
that  sent  every  tone  it  uttered  to  his  heart. 

"  Abide  the  shock  !  "  was  the  shout  of  those  who  came 
to  the  succor  ;  and  "  Abide  the  shock  ! "  was  echoed  by  the 
crew.  The  mysterious  image  glided  along  the  deck,  and 
Ludlow  knew  the  athletic  frame  that  brushed  through  the 
throng  at  its  side. 

There  was  little  noise  at  the  onset,  save  the  groans  of  the 
sufferers.  It  endured  but  a  moment,  but  it  was  a  moment 
that  resembled  the  passage  of  a  whirlwind.  The  defend 
ants  knew  that  they  were  succored,  and  the  assailants  re 
coiled  before  so  unexpected  a  foe.  The  few  that  were 
caught  beneath  the  forecastle  were  mercilessly  slain,  and 
those  above  were  swept  from  their  post  like  chaff  drifting 
in  a  gale.  The  living  and  the  dead  were  heard  falling 
alike  into  the  sea,  and  in  an  inconceivably  short  space  of 
time,  the  decks  of  the  Coquette  were  free.  A  solitary 
enemy  still  hesitated  on  the  bowsprit.  A  powerful  and 
active  frame  leaped  along  the  spar,  and  though  the  blow 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  351 

was  not  seen,  its  effects  were  visible,  as  the  victim  tumbled 
helplessly  into  the  ocean. 

The  hurried  dash  of  oars  followed,  and  before  the  de 
fendants  had  time  to  assure  themselves  of  the  complete 
ness  of  their  success,  the  gloomy  void  of  the  surrounding 
ocean  had  swallowed  up%he  boats. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

That  face  of  his  I  do  remember  well ; 

Yet,  when  I  saw  it  last,  it  was  besmeared 

As  black  as  Vulcan,  in  the  smoke  of  war. — Twelfth   Night. 

FROM  the  moment  when  the  Coquette  fired  her  first  gun, 
to  the  moment  when  the  retiring  boats  became  invisible, 
was  just  twenty  minutes.  Of  this  time,  less  than  half  had 
been  occupied  by  the  incidents  related  in  the  ship.  Short 
as  it  was  in  truth,  it  seemed  to  all  engaged  but  an  instant. 
The  alarm  was  over,  the  sound  of  the  oars  had  ceased,  and 
still  the  survivors  stood  at  their  posts,  as  if  expecting  the 
attack  to  be  rene\ved.  Then  came  those  personal  thoughts, 
which  had  been  suspended  in  the  fearful  exigency  of  such 
a  struggle.  The  wounded  began  to  feel  their  pain,  and  to 
be  sensible  of  the  danger  of  their  injuries  ;  while  the  few, 
who  had  escaped  unhurt,  turned  a  friendly  care  on  their 
shipmates.  Ludlow,  as  often  happens  with  the  bravest  and 
most  exposed,  had  escaped  without  a  scratch  ;  but  he  saw 
by  the  drooping  forms  around  him,  which  were  no  longer 
sustained  by  the  excitement  of  battle,  that  his  triumph  was 
dearly  purchased. 

"  Send  Mr.  Trysail  to  me,"  he  said,  in  a  tone  that  had 
little  of  a  victor's  exultation.  "  The  land-breeze  has  made, 
and  we  will  endeavor  to  improve  it,  and  get  inside  the  cape, 
lest  the  morning  light  give  us  more  of  these  Frenchmen." 

The  order  for  "  Mr.  Trysail !  "  "  The  Captain  calls  the 
master !  "  passed  in  a  low  call  from  mouth  to  mouth,  but  it 
was  unanswered.  A  seaman  told  the  expecting  young 
commander  that  the  surgeon  desired  his  presence  forward. 
A  gleaming  of  lights  and  a  little  group  at  the  foot  of  the 
foremast  was  a  beacon  not  to  be  mistaken.  The  weather- 
beaten  master  was  in  agony  ;  and  his  medical  attendant 
had  just  risen  from  a  fruitless  examination  of  his  wounds, 
as  Ludlow  approached. 


352  THE  WATER-WITCH. 

"  I  hope  the  hurt  is  not  serious  ?"  hurriedly  whispered 
the  alarmed  young  sailor  to  the  surgeon,  who  was  coolly 
collecting  his  implements  in  order  to  administer  to  some 
more  promising  subject.  "Neglect  nothing  that  your  art 
can  suggest." 

"The  case  is  desperate,  Captain  Ludlow,"  returned  the 
phlegmatic  surgeon  ;  "  but  if  you  have  a  taste  for  such 
things,  there  is  as  beautiful  a  case  for  amputation  promised 
in  the  fore-topman  whom  I  have  had  sent  below,  as  offers 
once  in  a  whole  life  of  active  practice  ! " 

"Go,  go,"  interrupted  Ludlow,  half  pushing  the  un 
moved  man  of  blood  away,  as  he  spoke  ;  "  go,  then,  where 
your  services  are  needed." 

The  other  cast  a  glance  around  him,  reproved  his  attend 
ant,  in  a  sharp  tone,  for  unnecessarily  exposing  the  blade 
of  some  ferocious-looking  instrument  to  the  dew,  and  de 
parted. 

"Would  to  God  that  some  portion  of  these  injuries  had 
befallen  those  who  are  younger  and  stronger  ! "  murmured 
the  Captain,  as  he  leaned  over  the  dying  master.  "  Can 
I  do  aught  to  relieve  thy  mind,  my  old  and  worthy  ship 
mate  ? " 

"  I  have  had  my  mis  givings  since  we  have  dealt  with 
witchcraft  ! "  returned  Trysail,  whose  voice  the  rattling  of 
the  throat  had  already  nearly  silenced  ;  "  I  have  had  mis 
givings — but  no  matter.  Take  care  of  the  ship — I  have 
been  thinking  of  our  people — you'll  have  to  cut — they  can 
never  lift  the  anchor — the  wind  is  here  at  north." 

"  All  this  is  ordered.  Trouble  thyself  no  further  about 
the  vessel  ;  she  shall  be  taken  care  of,  I  promise  you. 
Speak  of  thy  wife  and  of  thy  wishes  in  England." 

"  God  bless  Mrs.  Trysail !  She'll  get  a  pension,  and  I 
hope  contentment !  You  must  give  the  reef  a  good  berth, 
in  rounding  Montauk — and  you'll  naturally  wish  to  find 
the  anchors  again  when  the  coast  is  clear — if  you  can  find 
it  in  your  conscience,  say  a  good  word  of  poor  old  Ben 
Trysail,  in  the  despatches 

The  voice  of  the  master  sank  to  a  whisper,  and  became 
inaudible.  Ludlow  thought  he  strove  to  speak  again,  and 
he  bent  his  ear  to  his  mouth. 

"I  say — the  weather-main-swifter  and  both  backstays 
are  gone  ;  look  to  the  spars  for — for — there  are  sometimes 
— heavy  puffs  at  night — in  the  Americas." 

The  last  heavy  respiration  succeeded,  after  which  came 


THE  WATER- WITCH.  353 

the  long  silence  of  death.  The  body  was  removed  to  the 
poop,  and  Ludlow,  with  a  saddened  heart,  turned  to  du 
ties  that  this  accident  rendered  still  more  imperative. 

Notwithstanding  the  heavy  loss,  and  the  originally  weak 
ened  state  of  her  crew,  the  sails  of  the  Coquette  were 
soon  spread,  and  the  ship  sailed  away  in  silence,  as  if  sor 
rowing  for  those  who  had  fallen  at  her  anchorage.  When 
the  vessel  was  fairly  in  motion,  her  Captain  ascended  to 
the  poop  in  order  to  command  a  clearer  view  of  all  around 
him,  as  well  as  to  profit  by  the  situation  to  arrange  his 
plans  for  the  future.  He  found  he  had  been  anticipated 
by  the  freetrader. 

"  I  owe  my  ship — I  may  say  my  life,  since  in  such  a 
conflict  they  would  have  gone  together,  to  thy  succor  !  " 
said  the  young  commander,  as  he  approached  the  motion 
less  form  of  the  smuggler.  "  Without  it,  Queen  Anne 
would  have  lost  a  cruiser,  and  the  flag  of  England  a  por 
tion  of  its  well-earned  glory." 

"  May  thy  royal  mistress  prove  as  ready  to  remember 
her  friends  in  emergencies  as  mine.  In  good  truth  there 
was  little  time  to  lose,  and  trust  me,  we  well  understood 
the  extremity.  If  we  were  tardy,  it  was  because  whale 
boats  were  to  be  brought  from  a  distance ;  for  the  land  lies 
between  my  brigantine  and  the  sea." 

"  He  who  came  so  opportunely,  and  acted  so  well,  needs 
no  apology." 

"  Captain  Ludlow,  are  we  friends  ? " 

"  It  cannot  be  otherwise.  All  minor  considerations  must 
be  lost  in  such  a  service.  If  it  is  your  intention  to  push 
this  illegal  trade  farther  on  the  coast,  I  must,  seek  another 
station." 

"Not  so.  Remain,  and  do  credit  to  your  flag,  and  the 
land  of  your  birth.  I  have  long  thought  this  is  the  last 
time  the  keel  of  the  Water-Witch  will  ever  plough  the 
American  seas.  Before  I  quit  you,  I  would  have  an  inter 
view  with  the  merchant.  A  \vorse  man  might  have  fallen, 
and  just  now  even  a  better  man  might  be  spared.  I  hope 
no  harm  has  come  to  him  ?" 

"  He  has  shown  the  steadiness  of  his  Holland  lineage  to 
day.  During  the  boarding  he  was  useful  and  cool." 

"  It  is  well.  Let  the  Alderman  be  summoned  to  the 
deck,  for  my  time  is  limited,  and  I  have  much  to  say — 

The  Skimmer  paused,  for  at  that  moment  a  fierce  light 
glared  upon  the  ocean,  the  ship,  and  all  in  it.  The  two 

23 


354  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

seamen  gazed  at  each  other  in  silence,  and  recoiled,  as  men 
recede  before  an  unexpected  and  fearful  attack.  But  a 
bright  and  wavering  light,  which  rose  out  of  the  forward 
hatch  of  the  vessel,  explained  all.  At  the  same  moment, 
the  deep  stillness  which,  since  the  bustle  of  making  sail 
had  ceased,  pervaded  the  ship,  was  broken  by  the  appalling 
cry  of  "  Fire  !  " 

The  alarm  which  brings  the  blood  in  the  swiftest  current 
to  a  seaman's  heart  was  now  heard  in  the  depths  of  the 
vessel.  The  smothered  sounds  below,  the  advancing  up 
roar,  and  the  rush  on  deck,  with  the  awful  summons  in  the 
open  air,  succeeded  each  other  with  the  rapidity  of  light 
ning.  A  dozen  voices  repeated  the  word,  "The  grenade  !" 
proclaiming  in  a  breath  both  the  danger  and  the  cause. 
But  an  instant  before,  the  swelling  canvas,  the  dusky  spars, 
and  the  faint  lines  of  the  cordage,  were  only  to  be  traced 
by  the  glimmering  light  of  the  stars  ;  now  the  whole  ham 
per  of  the  ship  was  the  more  conspicuous  from  the  obscure 
background  against  which  it  was  drawn  in  distinct  lines. 
The  sight  was  fearfully  beautiful ;  beautiful,  for  it  showed 
the  symmetry  and  fine  outlines  of  the  vessel's  rig,  resem 
bling  the  effect  of  a  group  of  statuary  seen  by  torch-light — 
fearful,  since  the  dark  void  beyond  seemed  to  declare  their 
isolated  and  helpless  state. 

There  was  one  breathless,  eloquent  moment,  in  which  all 
were  seen  gazing  at  the  grand  spectacle  in  mute  awe — 
then  a  voice  rose,  clear,  distinct,  and  commanding,  above 
the  sullen  sound  of  the  torrent  of  fire,  which  was  roaring 
among  the  avenues  of  the  ship. 

"  Call  all  hands  to  extinguish  the  fire  !  Gentlemen,  to 
your  stations.  Be  cool,  men  ;  and  be  silent !  " 

There  was  a  calmness  and  an  authority  in  the  tones  of 
the  young  commander  that  curbed  the  impetuous  feelings 
of  the  startled  crew.  Accustomed  to  obedience,  and  trained 
to  order,  each  man  woke  out  of  his  trance  and  eagerly 
commenced  the  discharge  of  his  allotted  duty.  At  that 
instant,  an  erect  and  unmoved  form  stood  on  the  coamings 
of  the  main-hatch.  A  hand  was  raised  in  the  air,  and  the 
call  which  came  from  the  deep  chest  was  like  that  of  one 
used  to  speak  in  the  tempest. 

"Where  are  my  brigantines  ? "  it  said;  "come  away 
there,  my  sea-dogs  ;  wret  the  light  sails  and  follow  !  " 

A  group  of  grave  and  submissive  mariners  gathered 
about  the  Skimmer  of  the  Seas,  at  the  sound  of  his  voicr, 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  355 

Glancing  an  eye  over  them,  as  if  to  scan  their  quality  and 
number,  he  smiled  with  a  look  in  which  high  daring  and 
practised  self-command  were  blended  with  a  constitutional 
gaite  de  cceur. 

"  One  deck  or  two  !  "  he  added  ;  "  what  avails  a  plank 
more  or  less,  in  an  explosion  ?  Follow  !  " 

The  freetrader  and  his  people  disappeared  in  the  interior 
of  the  ship.  An  interval  of  great  and  resolute  exertion 
succeeded.  Blankets,  sails,  and  everything  which  offered, 
and  which  promised  to  be  of  use,  were  wetted  and  cast 
upon  the  flames.  The  engine  was  brought  to  bear,  and 
the  ship  was  deluged  with  water.  But  the  confined  space, 
with  the  heat  and  smoke,  rendered  it  impossible  to  pene 
trate  to  those  parts  of  the  vessel  where  the  conflagration 
raged.  The  ardor  of  the  men  abated  as  hope  lessened  ; 
and  after  half  an  hour  of  fruitless  exertion,  Ludlow  saw 
with  pain  that  his  assistants  began  to  yield  to  the  inex 
tinguishable  principle  of  nature.  The  appearance  of  the 
Skimmer  on  deck,  followed  by  all  his  people,  destroyed 
hope,  and  every  effort  ceased  as  suddenly  as  it  had  com 
menced. 

"  Think  of  your  wounded,"  whispered  the  freetrader, 
with  a  steadiness  no  danger  could  disturb.  "We  stand  on 
a  raging  volcano  !  " 

"  I  have  ordered  the  gunner  to  drown  the  magazine." 

"  He  was  too  late.  The  hold  of  the  ship  is  a  fiery  fur 
nace.  I  heard  him  fall  among  the  store-rooms,  and  it  sur 
passed  the  power  of  man  to  give  the  wretch  succor.  The 
grenade  had  fallen  near  some  combustibles,  and,  painful 
as  it  is  to  part  with  a  ship  so  loved,  Ludlow,  thou  wilt  meet 
the  loss  like  a  man  !  Think  of  thy  wounded  ;  my  boats 
are  still  hanging  at  the  stern." 

Ludlow  reluctantly,  but  firmly,  gave  the  order  to  bear 
the  wounded  to  the  boats.  This  was  an  arduous  and  deli 
cate  duty.  The  smallest  boy  in  the  ship  knew  the  whole 
extent  of  the  danger,  and  that  a  moment,  by  the  explosion 
of  the  powder,  might  precipitate  them  all  into  eternity. 
The  deck  forward  was  getting  too  hot  to  be  endured,  and 
there  were  places  even  in  which  the  beams  had  given 
symptoms  of  yielding. 

But  the  poop,  elevated  still  above  the  fire,  offered  a  mo 
mentary  refuge.  Thither  all  retired,  while  the  weak  and 
wounded  were  lowered,  with  the  caution  circumstances 
would  permit,  into  the  whale  boats  of  the  smugglers. 


356  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

Ludlovv  stood  at  one  ladder  and  the  freetrader  at  the 
other,  in  order  to  be  certain  that  none  proved  recreant  in 
so  trying  a  moment.  Near  them  were  Alida,  Seadrift,  and 
the  Alderman,  with  the  attendants  of  the  former. 

It  seemed  an  age  before  this  humane  and  tender  duty 
was  performed.  At  length  the  cry  of  "All  in  !  "  was  ut 
tered,  in  a  manner  to  betray  the  extent  of  the  self-com 
mand  that  had  been  necessary  to  effect  it. 

"  Now,  Alida,  we  may  think  of  thee  ! "  said  Ludlow, 
turning  to  the  spot  occupied  by  the  silent  heiress. 

"  And  you  !  "  she  said,  hesitating  to  move. 

"  Duty' demands  that  I  shall  be  the  last — 

A  sharp  explosion  beneath,  and  fragments  of  fire  flying 
upward  through  a  hatch,  interrupted  his  words.  Plunges 
into  the  sea,  and  a  rush  of  people  to  the  boats,  followed. 
All  order  arid  authority  were  completely  lost  in  the  instinct 
of  life.  In  vain  did  Ludlow  call  on  his  men  to  be  cool, 
and  wait  for  those  who  were  still  above.  His  words  were 
lost  in  the  uproar  of  clamorous  voices. 

For  a  moment,  it  seemed,  however,  as  if  the  Skimmer  of 
the  Seas  would  overcome  the  confusion.  Throwing  him 
self  on  a  ladder,  he  glided  into  the  bow  of  one  of  the  boats 
and,  holding  by  the  ropes  with  a  vigorous  arm,  he  resisted 
the  efforts  of  all  the  oars  and  boat-hooks,  while  he  de 
nounced  destruction  on  him  who  dared  to  quit  the  ship. 
Had  not  the  two  crews  been  mingled,  the  high  authority 
and  determined  mien  of  the  freetrader  would  have  pre 
vailed  ;  but  while  some  were  disposed  to  obey,  others  raised 
the  cry  of  "  Throw  the  dealer  in  witchcraft  into  the  sea  ! " 
Boat-hooks  were  already  pointed  at  his  breast,  and  the  hor 
rors  of  the  fearful  moment  were  about  to  be  increased  by 
the  violence  of  a  mutinous  contention,  when  a  second  ex 
plosion  nerved  the  arms  of  the  rowers  to  madness.  With  a 
common  and  desperate  effort,  they  overcame  all  resistance. 
Swinging  off  upon  the  ladder,  the  furious  seaman  saw  the 
boat  glide  from  his  grasp,  and  depart.  The  execration  that 
was  uttered,  beneath  the  stern  of  the  Coquette,  was  deep 
and  powerful  ;  but,  in  another  moment,  the  Skimmer  stood 
on  the  poop,  calm  and  undetected,  in  the  centre  of  the  de 
serted  group. 

"  The  explosion  of  a  few  of  the  officers'  pistols  has 
frightened  the  miscreants,"  he  said  cheerfully.  "  But  hope 
is  not  yet  lost !  They  linger  in  the  distance,  and  may  re 
turn  !  " 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  357 

The  sight  of  the  helpless  party  on  the  poop,  and  the  con 
sciousness  of  being  less  exposed  themselves,  had  indeed  ar 
rested  the  progress  of  the  fugitives.  Still,  selfishness  pre 
dominated  ;  and  while  most  regretting  their  danger,  none 
but  the  young  and  unheeded  midshipmen,  who  were  neither 
of  an  age  nor  of  a  rank  to  wield  sufficient  authority,  pro 
posed  to  return.  There  was  little  argument  necessary  to 
show  that  the  perils  increased  at  each  moment  ;  and  find 
ing  that  no  other  expedient  remained,  the  gallant  youths 
encouraged  the  men  to  pull  toward  the  land,  intending 
themselves  to  return  instantly  to  the  assistance  of  their 
commander  and  his  friends.  The  oars  dashed  into  the 
water  again,  and  the  retiring  boats  were  soon  lost  to  view 
in  the  body  of  darkness. 

While  the  fire  had  been  raging  within,  another  element 
without  had  aided  to  lessen  the  hope  for  those  who  were 
abandoned.  The  wind  from  the  land  had  continued  to  rise, 
and,  during  the  time  lost  in  useless  exertion,  the  ship  had 
been  permitted  to  run  nearly  before  it.  When  hope  was 
gone,  the  helm  had  been  deserted,  and  as  all  the  lo\ver  sails 
had  been  hauled  up  to  avoid  the  flames,  the  vessel  had 
drifted  many  minutes  nearly  dead  to  leeward.  The  mis 
taken  youths,  who  had  not  attended  to  these  circumstances, 
were  already  miles  from  that  beach  they  hoped  to  reach  so 
soon  ;  and  ere  the  boats  had  separated  from  the  ship  five 
minutes,  they  were  hopelessly  asunder.  Ludlow  had  early 
thought  of  the  expedient  of  stranding  the  vessel  as  a  means 
of  saving  her  people  ;  but  his  better  knowledge  of  their 
position  soon  showed  him  the  utter  futility  of  the  attempt. 

Of  the  progress  of  the  flames  beneath,  the  mariners  could 
only  judge  by  circumstances.  The  Skimmer  glanced  his 
eye  about  him,  on  regaining  the  poop,  and  appeared  to 
scan  the  amount  and  quality  of  the  physical  force  that  was 
still  at  their  disposal.  He  saw  that  the  Alderman,  the 
faithful  Francois,  and  two  of  his  own  seamen,  with  four  of 
the  petty  officers  of  the  ship,  remained.  The  six  latter,  even 
in  that  moment  of  desperation,  had  calmly  refused  to  de 
sert  their  officers. 

"  The  flames  are  in  the  state-rooms  ! "  he  whispered  to 
Ludlow. 

"  Not  farther  aft,  I  think,  than  the  berths  of  the  midship 
men — else  we  should  hear  more  pistols." 

"  True — they  are  fearful  signals  to  let  us  know  the  prog 
ress  of  the  fire  ! — our  best  resource  is  a  raft." 


35«  THE  WATER-WITCH. 

Ludlow  looked  as  if  he  despaired  of  the  means,  but,  con 
cealing  the  discouraging  fear,  he  answered  cheerfully  in 
the  affirmative.  The  orders  were  instantly  given,  and  all 
on  board  gave  themselves  to  the  task,  heart  and  hand.  The 
danger  was  one  that  admitted  of  no  ordinary  or  half  con 
ceived  expedients  ;  but,  in  such  an  emergency,  it  required 
all  the  readiness  of  their  art,  and  even  the  greatness  of  that 
conception  which  is  the  property  of  genius. 

All  distinctions  of  rank  and  authority  had  ceased,  except 
as  deference  was  paid  to  natural  qualities  and  the  intelli 
gence  of  experience.  Under  such  circumstances,  the 
Skimmer  of  the  Seas  took  the  lead  ;  and  though  Ludlow 
caught  his  ideas  with  professional  quickness,  it  was  the 
mind  of  the  freetrader  that  controlled  throughout  the  suc 
ceeding  exertions  of  that  fearful  night. 

The  cheek  of  Alida  was  blanched  to  a  deadly  paleness  ; 
but  there  rested  about  the  bright  and  wild  eyes  of  Seadrift 
an  expression  of  supernatural  resolution. 

When  the  crew  abandoned  the  hope  of  extinguishing  the 
flames,  they  closed  all  the  hatches  to  retard  the  crisis  as 
much  as  possible.  Here  and  there,  however,  little  torch- 
like  lights  were  beginning  to  show  themselves  through  the 
planks,  and  the  whole  deck,  forward  of  the  mainmast,  was 
already  in  a  critical  and  sinking  state.  One  or  two  of  the 
beams  had  failed  ;  but,  as  yet,  the  form  of  the  construction 
was  preserved.  Still  the  seamen  distrusted  the  treacher 
ous  footing ;  and,  had  the  heat  permitted  the  experiment, 
they  would  have  shrunk  from  a  risk  which  at  any  unex 
pected  moment  might  commit  them  to  the  fiery  furnace 
beneath. 

The  smoke  ceased,  and  a  clear,  powerful  light  illumi 
nated  the  ship  to  her  trucks.  In  consequence  of  the  care 
and  exertions  of  her  people,  the  sails  and  masts  were  yet 
untouched  ;  and  as  the  graceful  canvas  swelled  with  the 
breeze,  it  still  urged  the  blazing  hull  through  the  water. 

The  forms  of  the  Skimmer  and  his  assistants  were  visi 
ble,  in  the  midst  of  the  gallant  gear,  perched  on  the  giddy 
yards.  Seen  by  that  light,  with  his  peculiar  attire,  his 
firm  and  certain  step,  and  his  resolute  air,  the  freetrader 
resembled  some  fancied  sea-god,  who,  secure  in  immortal 
immunities,  had  come  to  act  his  part  in  that  awful  but  ex 
citing  trial  of  hardihood  and  skill.  Seconded  by  the  com 
mon  men,  he  was  employed  in  cutting  the  canvas  from  the 
yards.  Sail  after  sail  fell  upon  the  deck,  and,  in  an  incred- 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  359 

ibly  short  space  of  time,  the  whole  of  the  foremast  was 
naked  to  its  spars  and  rigging. 

In  the  meantime,  Ludlovv,  assisted  by  the  Alderman 
and  Francois,  had  not  been  idle  below.  Passing  forward 
between  the  empty  ridge-ropes,  lanyard  after  lanyard 
parted  under  the  blows  of  their  little  boarding-axes.  The 
mast  now  depended  on  the  strength  of  the  wood  and  the 
support  of  a  single  back-stay. 

"  Lay  down  !  "  shouted  Ludlow.  "  All  is  gone  aft,  but 
this  stay  !  " 

The  Skimmer  leaped  upon  the  firm  rope,  followed  by  all 
aloft,  and,  gliding  downward,  he  was  instantly  in  the  ham 
mock-cloths.  A  crash  followed  their  descent,  and  an  ex 
plosion,  which  caused  the  whole  of  the  burning  fabric  to 
tremble  to  its  centre,  seemed  to  announce  the  end  of  all. 
Even  the  freetrader  recoiled  before  the  horrid  din  ;  but 
when  he  stood  near  Seadrift  and  the  heiress  again,  there 
was  cheerfulness  in  his  tones,  and  a  look  of  high  and  even 
of  gay  resolution  in  his  firm  countenance. 

"The  deck  has  failed  forward,"  he  said,  "and  our  artil 
lery  is  beginning  to  utter  fearful  signal-guns  !  Be  of 
cheer!  The  magazine  of  the  ship  lies  deep,  and  many 
sheathed  bulkheads  still  protect  us." 

Another  discharge  from  a  heated  gun,  however,  pro 
claimed  the  rapid  progress  of  the  flames.  The  fire  broke 
out  of  the  interior  anew,  and  the  foremast  kindled. 

"  There  must  be  an  end  of  this ! "  said  Alida,  clasping 
her  hands  in  a  terror  that  could  not  be  controlled.  "  Save 
yourselves,  if  possible,  you  who  have  the  strength  and 
courage,  and  leave  us  to  the  mercy  of  Him  whose  eye  is 
over  all ! " 

"  Go ! "  added  Seadrift,  \vhose  sex  could  no  longer  be 
concealed.  "  Human  courage  can  do  no  more  ;  leave  us  to 
die  ! " 

The  looks  that  were  returned  to  these  sad  requests  were 
melancholy,  but  unmoved.  The  Skimmer  caught  a  rope, 
and  still  holding  it  in  his  hand,  he  descended  to  the  quar 
ter-deck,  on  which  he  at  first  trusted  his  weight  with  jeal 
ous  caution.  Then  looking  up,  he  smiled  encouragingly, 
and  said,  "  Where  a  gun  stands,  there  is  no  danger  for  the 
weight  of  a  man  !  " 

"  It  is  our  only  resource,"  cried  Ludkw,  imitating  his 
example.  "  On,  my  men,  while  the  beams  will  still  hold 
us." 


360  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

In  a  moment  all  were  on  the  quarter-deck,  though  the 
excessive  heat  rendered  it  impossible  to  remain  stationary 
for  an  instant.  A  gun  on  each  side  was  run  in,  its  tackles 
loosened,  and  its  muzzle  pointed  toward  the  tottering,  un 
supported,  but  still  upright  foremast. 

"  Aim  at  the  cleats  !  "  said  Ludlow  to  the  Skimmer,  who 
pointed  one  gun,  while  he  did  the  same  office  at  the  other. 

"  Hold  !  "  cried  the  latter.  "  Throw  in  shot— it  is  but 
the  chance  between  a  bursting  gun  and  a  lighted  maga 
zine  ! " 

Additional  balls  were  introduced  into  each  piece,  and 
then  with  steady  hands,  the  gallant  mariners  applied  burn 
ing  brands  to  the  priming.  The  discharges  were  simulta 
neous,  and  for  an  instant,  volumes  of  smoke  rolled  along 
the  deck  and  seemed  to  triumph  over  the  conflagration. 
The  rending  of  wood  was  audible.  It  was  followed  by  a 
sweeping  noise  in  the  air,  and  the  fall  of  the  foremast,  with 
all  its  burden  of  spars,  into  the  sea.  The  motion  of  the 
ship  was  instantly  arrested,  and  as  the  heavy  timbers  were 
still  attached  to  the  bowsprit  by  the  forward  stays,  her 
head  came  to  the  wind,  when  the  remaining  topsails  flap 
ped,  shivered,  and  took  aback. 

The  vessel  was  now,  for  the  first  time  during  the  fire, 
stationary.  The  common  mariners  profited  by  the  circum 
stance  ;  and,  darting  past  the  mounting  flames  along  the 
bulwarks,  they  gained  the  top-gallant-forecastle,  which, 
though  heated,  was  yet  untouched.  The  Skimmer  glanced 
an  eye  about  him,  and  seizing  Seadrift  by  the  waist,  as  if 
the  mimic  seaman  had  been  a  child,  he  pushed  forward 
between  the  ridge-ropes.  Ludlow  followed  with  Alida, 
and  the  others  imitated  their  example  in  the  best  manner 
they  could.  All  reached  the  head  of  the  ship  in  safety  ; 
though  Ludlow  had  been  driven  by  the  flames  into  the 
fore-channels,  arid  thence  nearly  into  the  sea. 

The  petty  officers  were  already  on  the  floating  spars  sep 
arating  them  from  each  other,  cutting  away  the  unneces 
sary  weight  of  rigging,  bringing  the  several  parts  of  the  wood 
in  parallel  lines,  and  lashing  them  anew.  Ever  and  anon, 
these  rapid  movements  were  quickened  by  one  of  those 
fearful  signals  from  the  officers'  berths,  which,  by  announ 
cing  the  progress  of  the  flames  beneath,  betrayed  their  in 
creasing  proximity  to  the  still  slumbering  volcano.  The 
boats  had  been  gone  an  hour,  yet  it  seemed,  to  all  in  the 
ship,  but  a  minute.  The  conflagration  had,  for  the  last  ten 


THE  WATER-WITCH.  361 

minutes,  advanced  with  renewed  fury  ;  and  the  whole  of 
the  confined  flame,  which  had  been  so  long  pent  in  the 
depths  of  the  vessel,  now  glared  high  in  the  open  air. 

"This  heat  can  no  longer  be  borne,"  said  Ludlow,  "we 
must  to  our  raft  for  breath." 

"  To  the  raft  then  !  "  returned  the  cheerful  voice  of  the 
freetrader.  "  Haul  in  upon  your  fasts,  men,  and  stand  by 
to  receive  the  precious  freight." 

The  seamen  obeyed.  Alida  and  her  companions  were 
lowered  safely  to  the  place  prepared  for  their  reception. 
The  foremast  had  gone  over  the  side  with  all  its  spars 
aloft  ;  for  preparation  had  been  made  before  the  fire  com 
menced,  to  carry  sail  to  the  utmost  in  order  to  escape  the 
enemy.  The  skilful  and  active  seamen,  directed  and  aided 
by  Ludlow  and  the  Skimmer,  had  made  a  simple  but  happy 
disposition  of  those  buoyant  materials  on  which  their  all 
now  depended.  In  settling  in  the  w^ater,  the  yards,  still 
crossed,  had  happily  fallen  uppermost.  The  booms  and  all 
the  light  spars  had  been  floated  near  the  top,  and  laid  across, 
reaching  from  the  lower  to  the  topsail-yard.  A  few  light 
spars,  stowed  outboard,  had  been  cut  away  and  added  to 
the  number,  and  the  whole  were  secured  with  the  readi 
ness  and  ingenuity  of  seamen.  On  the  first  alarm  of  fire, 
some  of  the  crew  had  seized  a  few  light  articles  that 
would  float,  and  rushed  to  the  head,  as  the  place  most  re 
mote  from  the  magazine,  in  the  blind  hope  of  saving  life  by 
swimming.  Most  of  these  articles  had  been  deserted  when 
the  people  were  rallied  to  exertion  by  their  officers.  A 
couple  of  empty  shot-boxes  and  a  mess-chest  were  among 
them,  and  on  the  latter  were  seated  the  females,  while  the 
former  served  to  keep  their  feet  from  the  water.  As  the 
arrangement  of  the  spars  forced  the  principal  mast  be 
neath  the  element,  and  the  ship  wTas  so  small  as  to  need 
little  artificial  work  in  her  masting,  the  part  around  the  top, 
which  contained  the  staging,  was  scarcely  submerged.  v 

Although  a  ton  in  weight  was  added  to  the  inherent 
gravity  of  the  wood,  still,  as  the  latter  was  of  the  lightest 
description,  and  freed  as  much  as  possible  of  everything 
that  was  unnecessary  to  the  safety  of  those  it  supported, 
the  spars  floated  sufficiently  buoyant  for  the  temporary  se 
curity  of  the  fugitives. 

"Cut  the  fasts  !  "  said  Ludlow,  involuntarily  starting  at 
several  explosions  in  the  interior,  which  followed  each 
other  in  quick  succession,  and  which  were  succeeded  by 


362  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

one  which  sent  fragments  of  burning  wood  into  the  air. 
"  Cut,  and  bear  the  raft  off  the  ship  !  ^God  knows  we  have 
need  to  be  farther  asunder  !  " 

"  Cut  not  !  "  cried  the  half-frantic  Seadrift.  "  My  brave  ! 
my  devoted " 

"  Is  safe,"  calmly  said  the  Skimmer,  appearing  in  the 
ratlines  of  the  main-rigging,  which  was  still  untouched  by 
the  fire.  "  Cut  off  all !  I  stay  to  brace  the  mizzen-topsail 
more  firmly  aback." 

The  duty  was  done,  and  for  a  moment  the  fine  figure  of 
the  freetrader  was  seen  standing  on  the  edge  of  the  burn 
ing  ship,  looking  with  regret  at  the  glowing  mass. 

"  'Tis  the  end  of  a  lovely  craft  !  "  he  said,  loud  enough 
to  be  heard  by  those  beneath.  Then  he  appeared  in  the 
air  and  sank  into  the  sea.  "The  last  signal  was  from  the 
ward-room,"  added  the  dauntless  and  dexterous  mariner  as 
he  rose  from  the  water,  and,  shaking  the  brine  from  his 
head,  he  took  his  place  on  the  stage.  "Would  to  God 
the  wind  would  blow,  for  we  have  need  of  greater  dis 
tance  ! " 

The  precaution  the  freetrader  had  taken  in  adjusting 
the  sails,  was  not  without  its  use.  Motion  the  raft  had 
none,  but  as  the  topsails  of  the  Coquette  were  still  aback, 
the  flaming  mass,  no  longer  arrested  by  the  clogs  in  the 
water,  began  slowly  to  separate  from  the  floating  spars, 
though  the  tottering  and  half-burned  masts  threatened  at 
each  moment  to  fall. 

Never  did  moments  seem  so  long  as  those  which  suc 
ceeded.  Even  the  Skimmer  and  Ludlow  watched,  in 
speechless  interest,  the  tardy  movements  of  the  ship.  By 
little  and  little  she  receded  ;  and,  after  ten  minutes  of  in 
tense  expectation,  the  seamen,  whose  anxiety  had  increased 
as  their  exertions  ended,  began  to  breathe  more  freely. 
They  were  still  fearfully  near  the  dangerous  fabric,  but 
destruction  from  the  explosion  was  no  longer  inevitable. 
The  flames  began  to  glide  upward,  and  the  heavens  ap 
peared  on  fire,  as  one  heated  sail  after  another  kindled 
and  flared  wildly  in  the  breeze. 

Still  the  stern  of  the  vessel  was  entire.  The  body  of  the 
master  was  seated  against  the  mizzen-mast,  and  even  the 
stern  visage  of  the  old  seaman  was  distinctly  visible,  un 
der  the  broad  light  of  the  conflagration.  Ludlow  gazed 
at  it  in  melancholy,  and  for  a  time  he  ceased  to  think  of 
his  ship,  while  memory  dwelt,  in  sadness,  on  those  scenes 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  363 

of  boyish  happiness,  and  of  professional  pleasures,  in 
which  his  ancient  shipmate  had  so  largely  participated. 
The  roar  of  a  gun,  whose  stream  of  fire  flashed  nearly  to 
their  faces,  and  the  sullen  whistling  of  its  shot,  which 
crossed  the  raft,  failed  to  awaken  him  from  his  trance. 

"  Stand  firm  to  the  mess-chest !  "  half-whispered  the 
Skimmer,  motioning  to  his  companions  to  place  them 
selves  in  attitudes  to  support  the  weaker  of  their  party, 
while,  with  sedulous  care,  he  braced  his  own  athletic 
person  in  a  manner  to  throw  all  of  its  weight  and  strength 
against  the  seat.  "  Stand  firm,  and  be  ready  !  " 

Ltidlow  complied,  though  his  eye  scarce  changed  its 
direction.  He  saw  the  bright  flame  that  was  rising  above 
the  arm-chest,  and  he  fancied  that  it  came  from  the  fu 
neral  pile  of  the  young  Dumont,  whose  fate  at  that  mo 
ment,  he  was  almost  disposed  to  envy.  Then  his  look  re 
turned  to  the  grim  countenance  of  Trysail.  At  moments 
it  seemed  as  if  the  dead  master  spoke  ;  and  so  strong  did 
the  illusion  become,  that  our  young  sailor  more  than  once 
bent  forward  to  listen.  While  under  this  delusion,  the 
body  rose,  with  the  arms  stretched  upward.  The  air  was 
filled  with  a  sheet  of  streaming  fire,  while  the  ocean  and 
the  heavens  glowed  with  one  glare  of  intense  and  fiery  red. 
Notwithstanding  the  precaution  of  the  Skimmer  of  the 
Seas,  the  chest  was  driven  from  its  place,  and  those  by 
whom  it  was  held  were  nearly  precipitated  into  the  water. 

A  deep,  heavy  detonation  proceeded  as  it  were  from  the 
bosom  of  the  sea,  which,  while  it  wounded  the  ear  less 
than  the  sharp  explosion  that  had  just  before  issued  from 
the  gun,  was  audible  at  the  distant  capes  of  the  Dela 
ware.  The  body  of  Trysail  sailed  upward  for  fifty  fathoms, 
in  the  centre  of  a  flood  of  flame,  and,  describing  a  short 
curve,  it  came  toward  the  raft,  and  cut  the  water  within 
reach  of  the  Captain's  arm.  A  sullen  plunge  of  a  gun 
followed,  and  proclaimed  the  tremendous  power  of  the 
explosion  ;  while  a  ponderous  yard  fell  athwart  a  part  of 
the  raft,  sweeping  away  the  four  petty  officers  of  Lucllow, 
as  if  they  had  been  dust  driving  before  a  gale.  To  in 
crease  the  wild  and  fearful  grandeur  of  the  dissolution  of 
the  royal  cruiser,  one  of  the  cannon  emitted  its  fiery  con 
tents  while  sailing  in  the  void. 

The  burning  spars,  the  falling  fragments,  the  blazing 
and  scattered  canvas  and  cordage,  the  glowing  shot,  and 
all  the  torn  particles  of  the  ship,  were  seen  descending. 


364  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

Then  followed  the  gurgling  of  the  water,  as  the  ocean 
swallowed  all  that  remained  of  the  cruiser  which  had  so 
long  been  the  pride  of  the  American  seas.  The  fiery 
glow  disappeared,  and  a  gloom,  like  that  which  succeeds 
the  glare  of  vivid  lightning,  fell  on  the  scene. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

Please  you,  read. — Cymbeline. 

"  IT  is  past !  "  said  the  Skimmer  of  the  Seas,  raising  him 
self  from  the  attitude  of  great  muscular  exertion,  which  he 
had  assumed  in  order  to  support  the  mess-chest,  and  walk 
ing  out  along  the  single  mast  toward  the  spot  whence  the 
four  seamen  of  Ludlow  had  just  been  swept  "  It  is  past ! 
and  those  who  are  called  to  the  last  account  have  met  their 
fate  in  such  a  scene  as  none  but  a  seaman  may  witness  ; 
wrhile  those  who  are  spared  have  need  of  all  a  seaman's 
skill  and  resolution  for  that  which  remains.  Captain  Lud 
low,  I  do  not  despair  ;  for,  see,  the  lady  of  the  brigantine 
has  still  a  smile  for  her  servitors  !  " 

Ludlow,  who  had  followed  the  steady  and  daring  free 
trader  to  the  place  where  the  spar  had  fallen,  turned  and 
cast  a  look  in  the  direction  in  which  the  other  stretched 
his  arm.  Within  a  hundred  feet  of  him  he  saw  the  image 
of  the  sea-green  lady  rocking  on  the  agitated  water,  and 
turned  toward  the  raft  with  its  usual  expression  of  wild 
and  malicious  intelligence.  The  emblem  of  their  fancied 
mistress  had  been  borne  in  front  of  the  smugglers  when 
they  mounted  the  poop  of  the  Coquette  ;  and  the  steeled 
staff  on  which  the  lantern  was  perched  had  been  stuck  in 
a  horse-bucket  by  the  standard-bearer  of  the  moment,  ere 
he  entered  the  melee  of  the  combat.  During  the  confla 
gration  this  object  had  more  than  once  met  the  eye  of  Lud 
low,  and  now  it  had  appeared  floating  by  him  in  a  manner 
almost  to  shake  even  his  contempt  for  the  ordinary  super 
stitions  of  a  seaman.  While  he  hesitated  in  w7hat  manner 
he  should  reply  to  his  companion's  remark,  the  latter 
plunged  into  the  sea  and  swam  toward  the  light. 

He  was  soon  by  the  side  of  the  raft  again,  bearing  aloft 
the  symbol  of  his  brigantine.  There  are  none  so  firm  in 
the  dominion  of  reason  as  to  be  entirely  superior  to  the 


THE  WATER-WITCIL  365 

secret  impulses  which  teach  us  all  to  believe  in  the  hidden 
agency  of  a  good  or  an  evil  fortune.  The  voice  of  the 
freetrader  was  more  cheerful,  and  his  step  more  sure  and 
elastic  as  he  crossed  the  stage  and  struck  the  armed  end  of 
the  staff  into  that  part  of  the  top-rim  of  the  Coquette 
which  floated  uppermost. 

"  Courage  !  "  he  gaily  replied.  "  While  this  light  burns 
my  star  is  not  set !  Courage,  lady  of  the  land  ;  for  here  is 
one  of  the  deep  waters  who  still  looks  kindly  on  her  fol 
lowers  !  We  are  at  sea,  on  a  frail  craft  it  is  certain,  but  a 
dull  sailer  may  make  a  sure  passage.  Speak,  gallant 
Master  Seadrift  ;  thy  gayety  and  spirit  should  revive 
under  so  goodly  an  omen  ! " 

But  the  agent  of  so  many  pleasant  masquerades,  and  the 
instrument  of  so  much  of  his  artifice,  had  not  a  fortitude 
equal  to  the  buoyant  temper  of  the  smuggler.  The  coun 
terfeit  bowed  his  head  by  the  side  of  the  silent  Alida  with 
out  a  reply.  The  Skimmer  of  the  Seas  regarded  the  group 
a  moment  with  manly  interest,  and  touching  the  arm  of 
Ludlow  he  walked  with  a  balancing  step  along  the  spars 
until  they  had  reached  a  spot  where  they  might  confer 
without  causing  unnecessary  alarm  to  their  companions. 

Although  so  imminent  and  pressing  a  danger  as  that  of 
the  explosion  had  passed,  the  situation  of  those  who  had 
escaped  was  scarcely  better  than  that  of  those  who 
had  been  lost.  The  heavens  showed  a  few  glimmering 
stars  in  the  openings  of  the  clouds,  and  now  that  the  first 
contrast  of  the  change  had  lessened,  there  was  just  enough 
of  light  to  render  all  the  features  of  their  actual  state 
gloomily  imposing. 

It  has  been  said  that  the  foremast  of  the  Coquette  went 
by  the  board,  with  most  of  its  hamper  aloft.  The  sails, 
with  such  portion  of  the  rigging  as  might  help  to  sustain 
it,  had  been  hastily  cut  away  as  related  ;  and  after  its  fall, 
until  the  moment  of  the  explosion,  the  common  men  had 
been  engaged,  either  in  securing  the  staging  or  in  clearing 
the  wreck  of  those  heavy  ropes  which,  useless  as  fastenings, 
only  added  to  the  weight  of  the  mass.  The  whole  wreck 
lay  upon  the  sea,  with  the  yards  crossed  and  in  their 
places,  much  as  the  spars  had  stood.  The  large  be>oms 
had  been  unshipped,  and  laid  in  such  a  manner  around 
the  top,  with  the  ends  resting  on  the  lower  and  topsail 
yards,  as  to  form  the  foundation  of  the  staging.  The 
smaller  booms,  with  the  mess-chest  and  the  shot-boxes, 


366  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

were  all  that  lay  between  the  group  in  the  centre,  and  the 
depths  of  the  ocean.  The  upper  part  of  the  top-rim  rose  a 
few  feet  above  the  water,  and  formed  an  important  protec 
tion  against  the  night-breeze  and  the  constant  washing  of 
the  waves.  Inthis  manner  were  the  females  seated,  cautioned 
not  to  trust  their  feet  on  the  frail  security  of  the  booms, 
and  supported  by- the  unremitting  care  of  the  Alderman. 
Francois  had  submitted  to  be  lashed  to  the  top  by  one  of 
the  brigantine's  seamen  ;  while  the  latter,  all  of  the 
common  herd  who  remained,  encouraged  by  the  presence 
of  their  standard-light,  began  to  occupy  themselves  in 
looking  to  the  fastenings  and  other  securities  of  the  raft. 

"  We  are  in  no  condition  for  a  long  or  an  active  cruise, 
Captain  Ludlow,"  said  the  Skimmer,  when  he  and  his 
companion  were  out  of  hearing.  "I  have  been  at  sea  in 
all  weathers,  and  in  every  description  of  craft ;  but  this  is 
the  boldest  of  my  experiments  on  the  water.  I  hope  it 
may  not  be  the  last !  " 

"We  cannot  conceal  from  ourselves  the  frightful  hazards 
we  run,"  returned  Ludlow,  "however  much  we  may  wish 
them  to  be  a  secret  to  some  among  us." 

"  This  is  truly  a  deserted  sea  to  be  abroad  in,  on  a  raft ! 
Were  we  in  the  narrow  passages  between  the  British 
Islands  and  the  Main,  or  even  in  the  Biscay  waters,  there 
would  be  hope  that  some  trader  or  roving  cruiser  might 
cross  our  track  ;  but  our  chance  here  lies  much  between 
the  Frenchman  and  the  brigantine." 

"The  enemy  has  doubtless  seen  and  heard  the  explosion, 
and,  as  the  land  is  so  near,  they  will  infer  that  the  people 
are  saved  in  the  boats.  Our  chance  of  seeing  more  of 
them  is  much  diminished  by  the  accident  of  the  fire,  since 
there  will  no  longer  be  a  motive  for  remaining  on  the 
coast." 

"And  will  your  young  officers  abandon  their  Captain 
without  a  search  ? " 

"Hope  of  aid  from  that  quarter  is  faint.  The  ship  ran 
miles  while  in  flames  ;  and,  before  the  light  returns,  these 
spars  will  have  drifted  leagues  with  the  ebbing  tide,  to 
seaward." 

"  Truly,  I  have  sailed  with  better  auguries ! "  observed 
the  Skimmer.  "What  are  the  bearings  and  distance  of 
the  land  ? " 

"  It  still  lies  to  the  north,  but  we  are  fast  setting  east 
and  southerly.  Ere  morning  we  shall  be  a-beam  of 


THE   WATER-WITCH,  367 

Montauk,  or  even  beyond  it  ;  we  must  already  be  some 
leagues  in  the  offing." 

"  That  is  worse  than  I  had  imagined !  but  there  is  hope 
on  the  flood  !  " 

"The  flood  will  bear  us  northward  again — but  what 
think  you  of  the  heavens  ?" 

"  Unfavorable,  though  not  desperate.  The  sea-breeze 
will  return  with  the  sun." 

"  And  with  it  will  return  the  swell !  How  long  will  these 
ill-secured  spars  hold  together  when  agitated  by  the  heave 
of  the  water?  Or  how  long  will  those  with  us  bear  up 
against  the  wash  of  the  sea,  unsupported  by  nourish 
ment  ?" 

"You  paint  in  gloomy  colors,  Captain  Ludlow,"  said 
the  freetrader,  drawing  a  heavy  breath,  in  spite  of  all  his 
resolution.  "  My  experience  tells  me  you  are  right,  though 
my  wishes  would  fain  contradict  you.  Still,  I  think  we 
have  the  promise  of  a  tranquil  night." 

"  Tranquil  for  a  ship,  or  even  for  a  boat ;  but  hazardous 
to  a  raft  like  this.  You  see  that  this  topmast  already  works 
in  the  cap  at  each  heave  of  the  water,  and  as  the  wrood 
loosens,  our  security  lessens." 

"Thy  counsel  is  not  flattering!  Captain  Ludlow,  you 
are  a  seaman  and  a  man,  and  I  shall  not  attempt  to  trifle 
with  your  knowledge.  With  you,  I  think  the  danger  im 
minent,  and  almost  our  only  hope  dependent  on  the  good 
fortune  of  my  brigantine." 

"Will  those  in  her  think  it  their  duty  to  quit  their  an 
chorage,  to  come  in  quest  of  a  raft  whose  existence  is  un 
known  to  them  ?" 

"  There  is  hope  in  the  vigilance  of  her  of  the  sea-green 
mantle  !  You  may  deem  this  fanciful,  or  even  worse,  at 
such  a  moment  ;  but  I,  who  have  run  so  many  gauntlets 
under  her  favor,  have  faith  in  her  fortunes..  Surely,  you 
are  not  a  seaman,  Captain  Ludlow,  without  a  secret  de 
pendence  on  some  unseen  and  potent  agency  !  " 

"  My  dependence  is  placed  in  the  agency  of  Him  who  is 
all-potent,  but  never  visible.  If  He  forget  us,  we  may  in 
deed  despair  ! " 

"This  is  well,  but  it  is  not  the  fortune  I  would  express. 
Believe  me,  spite  of  an  education  which  teaches  all  you 
have  said,  and  of  a  reason  that  is  often  too  clear  for  folly, 
there  is  a  secret  reliance  on  hidden  chances,  that  has  been 
created  by  a  life  of  activity  and  hazard,  and  which,  if  it 


368  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

should  do  nothing  better,  does  not  abandon  me  to  despair. 
The  omen  of  the  light  and  the  smile  of  my  mistress  would 
cheer  me,  spite  of  a  thousand  philosophers  !  " 

"You  are  fortunate  in  purchasing  consolation  so  cheap 
ly,"  returned  the  commander  of  Queen  Anne,  who  felt  a 
latent  hope  in  his  companion's  confidence,  that  he  would 
have  hesitated  to  acknowledge.  "  I  see  but  little  that  we 
can  do  to  aid  our  chances,  except  it  be  to  clear  away  all 
unnecessary  weight,  and  to  secure  the  raft  as  much  as 
possible  by  additional  lashings." 

The  Skimmer  of  the  Seas  assented  to  the  proposal. 
Consulting  a  moment  longer,  on  the  details  of  their  expe 
dients,  they  rejoined  the  group  near  the  top,  in  order  to 
see  them  executed.  As  the  seamen  on  the  raft  were  re 
duced  to  the  two  people  of  the  brigantine,  Ludlow  and 
his  companion  were  obliged  to  assist  in  the  performance 
of  the  duty. 

Much  useless  rigging,  that  added  to  the  pressure  with 
out  aiding  the  buoyancy  of  the  raft,  was  cut  away — and  all 
the  boom  irons  were  knocked  off  the  yards,  and  suffered 
to  descend  to  the  bottom  of  the  ocean. 

By  these  means  a  great  weight  was  taken  from  the  raft, 
which  in  consequence  floated  with  so  much  additional 
power  to  sustain  those  who  depended  on  it  for  life.  The 
Skimmer,  accompanied  by  his  two  silent  but  obedient  sea 
men,  ventured  along  the  attenuated  and  submerged  spars 
to  the  extremity  of  the  tapering  masts,  and  after  toiling 
with  the  dexterity  of  men  accustomed  to  deal  with  the 
complicated  machinery  of  a  ship  in  the  darkest  nights, 
they  succeeded  in  releasing  the  two  smaller  masts  with 
their  respective  yards,  and  in  floating  them  down  to  the 
body  of  the  wreck,  or  the  part  around  the  top.  Here  the 
sticks  were  crossed  in  a  manner  to  give  great  additional 
strength  and  footing  to  the  stage. 

There  was  an  air  of  hope,  and  a  feeling  of  increased  se 
curity,  in  this  employment.  Even  the  Alderman  and 
Francois  aided  in  the  task,  to  the  extent  of  their  knowl 
edge  and  force.  But  when  these  alterations  were  made, 
and  additional  lashings  had  been  applied  to  keep  the  top 
mast  and  the  larger  yards  in  their  places,  Ludlow,  by  join 
ing  those  who  were  around  the  masthead,  tacitly  admitted 
that  little  more  could  be  done  to  avert  the  chances  of  the 
elements. 

During  the  few  hours  occupied  in  this  important  duty, 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  369 

Alida  and  her  companion  addressed  themselves  to  God  in 
long  and  fervent  petitions.  With  woman's  faith  in  that 
divine  being  who  alone  could  avail  them,  and  with  wom 
an's  high  mental  fortitude  in  moments  of  protracted 
trial,  they  had  both  known  how  to  control  the  exhibition 
of  their  terrors,  and  had  sought  their  support  in  the  same 
appeal  to  a  power  superior  to  all  of  earth.  Ludlow  was, 
therefore,  more  than  rewarded  by  the  sound  of  Alida's 
voice,  speaking  to  him  cheerfully,  as  she  thanked  him  for 
what  he  had  done,  when  he  admitted  that  he  could  now 
do  no  more. 

"The  rest  is  with  Providence  !"  added  Alida.  "  All  that 
bold  and  skilful  seamen  can  do,  have  ye  done  ;  and  all 
that  woman  in  such  a  situation  can  do,  have  we  done  in 
your  behalf." 

"  Thou  hast  thought  of  me  in  thy  prayers,  Alida.  It 
is  an  intercession  that  the  stoutest  needs,  and  which  none 
but  the  fool  derides." 

"And  thou,  Eudora !  thou  hast  remembered  Him  who 
quiets  the  waters! "  said  a  deep  voice  near  the  bending 
form  of  the  counterfeit  Seadrift. 

"I  have." 

"  'Tis  well.  There  are  points  to  which  manhood  and  ex 
perience  may  pass,  and  there  are  those  where  all  is  left  to 
One  mightier  than  the  elements  ! " 

Words  like  these,  coming  from  the  lips  of  one  of  the 
known  character  of  the  Skimmer  of  the  Seas,  were  not 
given  to  the  winds.  Even  Ludlow  cast  an  uneasy  look  at 
the  heavens,  when  they  came  upon  his  ear,  as  if  they  con 
veyed  a  secret  notice  of  the  whole  extremity  of  the  danger 
by  which  they  were  environed.  None  answered  ;  and  a 
long  silence  succeeded,  during  which  some  of  the  more 
fatigued  slumbered  uneasily,  spite  of  their  fearful  situa- 


& 
tion. 


In  this  manner  did  the  night  pass  in  weariness  and  anx 
iety.  Little  was  said,  and  for  hours  scarce  a  limb  was 
moved,  in  the  group  that  clustered  around  the  mess-chest. 
As  the  signs  of  day  appeared,  however,  every  faculty  was 
keenly  awake  to  catch  the  first  signs  of  what  they  had  to 
hope,  or  the  first  certainty  of  what  they  had  to  fear. 

The  surface  of  the  ocean  was  still  smooth,  though  the 

long  swells  in  which  the  element  was  heaving  and  setting, 

sufficiently  indicated  that  the  raft  had  floated  far  from  the 

land.     This  fact  was  rendered  sure  when  the  light,  which 

24 


37°  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

soon  appeared  along  the  eastern  margin  of  the  narrow 
view,  was  shed  gradually  over  the  whole  horizon.  Noth 
ing  was  at  first  visible  but  one  gloomy  and  vacant  waste  of 
water.  But  a  cry  of  joy  from  Seadrift,  whose  senses  had 
long  been  practised  in  ocean  sights,  soon  drew  all  eyes  in 
the  direction  opposite  to  that  of  the  rising  sun,  and  it  was 
not  long  before  all  on  the  low  raft  had  a  view  of  the  snowy 
surfaces  of  a  ship's  sails,  as  the  glow  of  morning  touched 
the  canvas. 

"It  is  the  Frenchman!"  said  the  freetrader.  "  He  is 
charitably  looking  for  the  wreck  of  his  late  enemy !" 

"  It  may  be  so,  for  our  fate  can  be  no  secret  to  him," 
was  the  answer  of  Ludlow.  "  Unhappily,  we  had  run 
some  distance  from  the  anchorage  before  the  flames  broke 
out.  Truly,  those  with  whom  we  so  lately  struggled  for 
life,  are  bent  on  a  duty  of  humanity." 

"  Ah,  yonder  is  his  crippled  consort ! — to  leeward  many 
a  league.  The  gay  bird  has  been  too  sadly  stripped  of  its 
plumage  to  fly  so  near  the  wind  !  This  is  man's  fortune  ! 
He  uses  his  power,  at  one  moment,  to  destroy  the  very 
means  that  become  necessary  to  his  safety  the  next." 

"And  what  think  you  of  our  hopes?"  asked  Alida, 
searching  in  the  countenance  of  Ludlow  a  clew  to  their 
fate.  "  Does  the  stranger  move  in  a  direction  favorable  to 
our  wishes  ? " 

Neither  Ludlow  nor  the  Skimmer  replied.  Both  re 
garded  the  frigate  intently  ;  then,  as  objects  became  more 
distinct, both  answered  by  a  common  impulse,  that  the  ship 
was  steering  directly  toward  them.  The  declaration  ex 
cited  general  hope,  and  even  the  negress  was  no  longer 
restrained  by  her  situation  from  expressing  her  joy  in  vo 
ciferous  exclamations  of  delight. 

A  few  minutes  of  active  and  ready  exertion  succeeded. 
A  light  boom  was  unlashed  from  the  raft  and  raised  on  its 
end,  supporting  a  little  signal  made  of  the  handkerchiefs 
of  the  party,  which  fluttered  in  the  light  breeze  at  the  ele 
vation  of  some  twenty  feet  above  the  surface  of  the  water. 
After  this  precaution  was  observed,  they  were  obliged  to 
await  the  result  in  such  patience  as  they  could  assume. 
Minute  passed  after  minute,  and,  at  each  moment,  the 
form  and  proportions  of  the  ship  became  more  distinct, 
until  all  the  mariners  of  the  party  declared  they  could  dis 
tinguish  men  on  her  yards.  A  cannon  would  have  readily 
sent  its  shot  from  the  ship  to  the  raft,  yet  no  sign  betrayed 


THE   WATER- WITCH'.  371 

the  consciousness  of  those  in  the  former  of  the  proximity 
of  the  latter. 

"  I  do  not  like  this  manner  of  steering  !  "  observed  the 
Skimmer  to  the  silent  and  attentive  Ludlow.  "  He 
yaws  broadly,  as  if  disposed  to  give  up  the  search.  God 
grant  him  the  heart  to  continue  on  his  course  ten  minutes 
longer ! " 

"  Have  we  no  means  of  making  ourselves  heard  ? "  de 
manded  the  Alderman.  "  Methinks  the  voice  of  a  strong 
man  might  be  sent  thus  far  across  the  water  when  life  is 
at  stake." 

The  more  experienced  shook  their  heads  ;  but,  not  dis 
couraged,  the  burgher  raised  his  voice  with  a  power  that 
was  sustained  by  the  imminency  of  the  peril.  He  was 
joined  by  the  seaman,  and  even  Ludlow  lent  his  aid,  until 
all  were  hoarse  with  the  fruitless  effort.  Men  were  evi 
dently  aloft,  and  in  some  numbers,  searching  the  ocean 
with  their  eyes,  but  still  no  answering  signal  came  from 
the  vessel. 

The  ship  continued  to  approach,  and  the  raft  was  less 
than  half  a  mile  from  her  bows,  when  the  vast  fabric  sud 
denly  receded  from  the  breeze,  showed  the  whole  of  its 
glittering  broadside,  and,  swinging  its  yards,  betrayed  by 
its  new  position  that  the  search  in  that  direction  was 
abandoned.  The  instant  Ludlow  saw  the  filling-off  of  the 
frigate's  bows,  he  cried  : 

"  Now,  raise  your  voices  together;  this  is  the  final  chance  .r" 

They  united  in  a  common  shout,  with  the  exception  of 
the  Skimmer  of  the  Seas.  The  latter  leaned  against  the 
top  with  folded  arms,  listening  to  their  impotent  efforts 
with  a  melancholy  smile. 

"  It  is  well  attempted,"  said  the  calm  and  extraordinary 
seaman  when  the  clamor  had  ceased,  advancing  along  the 
raft,  and  motioning  for  all  to  be  silent  ;  "  but  it  has  failed. 
The  swinging  of  the  yards,  and  the  order  given  in  wearing 
ship,  would  prevent  a  strange  sound  from  being  audible 
to  men  so  actively  employed.  I  flatter  none  with  hope, 
but  this  is  truly  the  moment  for  a  final  effort." 

He  placed  his  hands  to  his  mouth,  and,  disregarding 
words,  he  raised  a  cry  so  clear,  so  powerful,  and  yet  so 
full,  that  it  seemed  impossible  those  in  the  vessel  should 
not  hear  it.  Thrice  did  he  repeat  the  experiment,  though 
it  was  evident  that  each  successive  exertion  was  feebler 
than  the  last. 


372  THE  WATER-WITCH. 

"  They  hear  !  "  cried  Alida.  "  There  is  movement  in 
the  sails  !  " 

"  Tis  the  breeze  freshening,"  said  Ludlow,  in  sadness, 
at  her  side.  "  Each  moment  takes  them  away  ! " 

The  melancholy  truth  was  too  apparent  for  denial,  and 
for  half  an  hour  the  retiring  ship  was  watched  in  the  bit 
terness  of  disappointment.  At  the  end  of  that  time,  she 
fired  a  gun,  spread  additional  canvas  on  her  wide  booms, 
and  stood  away  before  the  wind  to  join  her  consort,  whose 
upper  sails  were  already  dipping  to  the  surface  of  the  sea 
in  the  southern  board.  With  this  change  in  her  move 
ments,  vanished  all  expectation  of  succor  from  the  cruiser 
of  the  enemy. 

Perhaps,  in  every  situation  of  life,  it  is  necessary  that 
hope  should  be  first  lessened  by  disappointment,  before  the 
buoyancy  of  the  human  mind  will  permit  it  to  descend  to 
the  level  of  an  evil  fortune.  Until  a  frustrated  effort 
teaches  him  the  difficulty  of  the  attempt,  he  who  has  fallen 
may  hope  to  rise  again  ;  and  it  is  only  when  an  exertion 
has  been  made  with  lessened  means,  that  we  learn  the  value 
of  advantages,  which  have  perhaps  been  long  enjoyed, 
with  a  very  undue  estimate  of  their  importance.  Until 
the  stern  of  the  French  frigate  was  seen  retiring  from  the 
raft,  those  who  were  on  it  had  not  been  fully  sensible  of 
the  extreme  danger  of  their  situation.  Hope  had  been 
strongly  excited  by  the  return  of  dawn  ;  for  while  the 
shadows  of  night  lay  on  the  ocean,  their  situation  resembled 
that  of  one  who  strove  to  pierce  the  obscurity  of  the 
future,  in  order  to  obtain  a  presage  of  better  fortunes. 
With  the  light  had  come  the  distant  sail.  As  the  day  ad 
vanced,  the  ship  had  approached,  relinquished  her  search, 
and  disappeared,  without  a  prospect  of  her  return. 

The  stoutest  heart  among  the  group  on  the  raft  began  to 
sink  at  the  gloomy  fate  which  now  seemed  inevitable. 

"Here  is  an  evil  omen!"  whispered  Ludlow,  directing 
his  companion's  eyes  to  the  dark  and  pointed  fins  of  three 
or  four  sharks  that  were  gliding  above  the  surface  of  the 
water,  and  in  so  fearful  a  proximity  to  their  persons  as  to 
render  their  situation  on  the  low  spars,  over  which  the 
water  was  washing  and  retiring  at  each  rise  and  fall  of  the 
waves,  doubly  dangerous.  "  The  creatures'  instinct  speaks 
ill  for  our  hopes  !  " 

"  There  is  a  belief  among  seamen  that  these  animals  feel 
a  secret  impulse,  which  directs  them  to  their  prey,"  re- 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  373 

turned  the  Skimmer.  "  But  fortune  may  yet  balk  them. 
Rogerson  !  "  calling  to  one  of  his  followers  ;  "thy  pockets 
are  rarely  wanting  in  a  fisherman's  tackle.  Hast  thou, 
haply,  line  and  hook  for  these  hungry  miscreants  ?  The 
question  is  getting  narrowed  to  one  in  which  the  simplest 
philosophy  is  the  wisest.  When  eat  or  to  bt  eaten  is  the 
mooted  point,  most  men  will  decide  for  the  former." 

A  hook  of  sufficient  size  was  soon  produced,  and  a  line 
was  quietly  provided  from  some  of  the  small  cordage  that 
still  remained  about  the  masts.  A  piece  of  leather,  torn 
from  a  spar,  answered  for  the  bait ;  and  the  lure  was 
thrown.  Extreme  hunger  seemed  to  engross  the  voracious 
animals,  who  darted  at  the  imaginary  prey  with  the  ra 
pidity  of  lightning.  The  shock  was  so  sudden  and  violent 
that  the  hapless  mariner  was  drawn  from  his  slippery  and 
precarious  footing  into  the  sea.  The  whole  passed  with  a 
frightful  and  alarming  rapidity.  A  common  cry  of  horror 
was  heard,  and  the  last  despairing  glance  of  the  fallen  man 
was  witnessed.  The  mutilated  body  floated  for  an  instant 
in  its  blood,  with  the  look  of  agony  and  terror  still  im 
printed  on  the  conscious  countenance.  At  the  next  moment 
it  had  become  food  for  the  monsters  of  the  sea. 

All  had  passed  away  but  the  deep  dye  on  the  surface  of 
the  ocean.  The  gorged  fish  disappeared  ;  but  the  dark 
spot  remained  near  the  immovable  raft,  as  if  placed  there 
to  warn  the  survivors  of  their  fate.  "  This  is  horrible  !  " 
said  Ludlow. 

"A  sail  !  "  shouted  the  Skimmer,  whose  voice  and  tone, 
breaking  in  on  that  moment  of  intense  horror  and  appre 
hension,  sounded  like  a  cry  from  the  heavens.  "  My  gal 
lant  brigantine  !  " 

"  God  grant  she  come  with  better  fortune  than  those 
who  have  so  lately  left  us  !  " 

"God  grant  it,  truly!  If  this  hope  fail,  there  is  none 
left.  Few  pass  here,  and  we  have  had  sufficient  proof  that 
our  topgallants  are  not  so  lofty  as  to  catch  every  eye." 

All  attention  was  now  bestowed  on  the  white  speck 
which  was  visible  on  the  margin  of  the  ocean,  and  which 
the  Skimmer  of  the  Seas  confidently  pronounced  to  be  the 
Water-Witch. 

None  but  a  seaman  could  have  felt  this  certainty  :  for, 
seen  from  the  low  raft,  there  was  little  else  to  be  distin 
guished  but  the  heads  of  the  upper  sails.  The  direction, 
too,  was  unfavorable,  as  it  was  to  leeward  ;  but  both  Lud* 


374  THE  WATER-WITCH. 

low  and  the  freetrader  assured  their  companions  that  the 
vessel  was  endeavoring  to  beat  in  with  the  land. 

The  two  hours  that  succeeded  lingered  like  days  of  mis 
ery.  So  much  depended  on  a  variety  of  events,  that  every 
circumstance  was  noted  by  the  seamen  of  the  party  with 
an  interest  bordering  on  agony.  A  failure  of  the  wind 
might  compel  the  vessel  to  remain  stationary,  and  then 
both  brigantine  and  raft  would  be  at  the  mercy  of  the  un 
certain  currents  of  the  ocean  ;  a  change  of  wind  might 
cause  a  change  of  course,  and  render  a  meeting  impossi 
ble  ;  an  increase  of  the  breeze  might  cause  destruction, 
even  before  the  succor  might  come.  In  addition  to  these 
obvious  hazards,  there  were  all  the  chances  which  were  de 
pendent  on  the  fact  that  the  people  of  the  brigantine  had 
every  reason  to  believe  the  fate  of  the  party  was  already 
sealed. 

Still  fortune  seemed  propitious  ;  for  the  breeze,  though 
steady,  was  light,  the  intention  of  the  vessel  was  evidently 
to  pass  somewhere  near  them,  and  the  hope  that  their  ob 
ject  was  search,  so  strong  and  plausible,  as  to  exhilarate 
every  bosom. 

At  the  expiration  of  the  time  named,  the  brigantine 
passed  the  raft  to  leeward,  and  so  near  as  to  render  the 
smallest  objects  in  her  rigging  distinctly  visible. 

"  The  faithful  fellows  are  looking  for  us!"  exclaimed 
the  freetrader,  with  strong  emotion  in  his  voice.  "They 
are  men  to  scout  the  coast,  ere  they  abandon  us  !" 

"  They  pass  us — wave  the  signal — it  may  catch  their 
eyes  !  " 

The  little  flag  was  unheeded,  and,  after  so  long  and  so 
intense  expectation,  the  party  on  the  raft  had  the  pain  to 
see  the  swift-moving  vessel  glide  past  them,  and  drawing 
so  far  ahead  as  to  leave  little  hope  of  her  return.  The 
heart  of  even  the  Skimmer  of  the  Seas  seemed  to  sink 
within  him  at  the  disappointment. 

"  For  myself,  I  care  not,"  said  the  stout  mariner,  mourn 
fully.  "  Of  what  consequence  is  it  in  what  sea,  or  in  what 
voyage  a  seaman  goes  into  his  watery  tomb  ? — but  for  thee, 
my  hapless  and  playful  Eudora,  I  could  wish  another  fate 
— ha  ! — she  tacks  ! — the  sea-green  lady  has  an  instinct  for 
her  children,  after  all  !  " 

The  brigantine  was  in  stays.  In  ten  or  fifteen  minutes 
more  the  vessel  was  again  abeam  of  the  raft,  and  to  wind 
ward. 


THE  WATER- WITCH.  375 

"If  she  pass  us  now,  our  chance  is  gone,  without  a 
shadow  of  hope,"  said  the  Skimmer,  motioning  solemnly 
for  silence.  Then,  applying  his  hand  to  his  mouth,  he 
shouted,  as  if  despair  lent  a  giant's  volume  to  his  lungs — 

"  Ho  !  the  Water-Witch  ahoy  !  " 

The  last  words  issued  from  his  lips  with  the  clear,  audi 
ble  cry  that  the  peculiar  sound  is  intended  to  produce.  It 
appeared  as  if  the  conscious  little  bark  knew  its  com 
mander's  voice  ;  for  its  course  changed  slightly,  as  if  the 
fabric  was  possessed  of  the  consciousness  and  faculties  of 
life. 

"  Ho  !  The  Water-Witch— ahoy  !"  shouted  the  Skimmer, 
with  a  still  mightier  effort. 

"  Hilloa  5  "  came  down  faintly  on  the  breeze,  and  the  di 
rection  of  the  brigantine  again  altered. 

"  The  Water- Witch  !— the  Water-Witch  !— ahoy !"  broke 
out  of  the  lips  of  the  mariner  of  the  shawl,  with  a  super 
natural  force — the  last  cry  being  drawn  out  till  he  who  ut 
tered  it  sank  back  exhausted  with  the  effort. 

The  words  were  still  ringing  in  the  ears  of  the  breath 
less  party  on  the  raft,  when  a  heavy  shout  swept  across  the 
water.  At  the  next  moment  the  boom  of  the  brigantine 
swung  off,  and  her  narrow  bows  were  seen  pointing  toward 
the  little  beacon  of  white  that  played  above  the  sea.  It 
was  but  a  moment,  but  it  was  a  moment  pregnant  with  a 
thousand  hopes  and  fears,  before  the  beautiful  craft  was 
gliding  within  fifty  feet  of  the  top.  In  less  than  five  min 
utes  the  spars  of  the  Coquette  were  floating  on  the  wide 
ocean,  unpeopled  and  abandoned. 

The  first  sensation  of  the  Skimmer  of  the  Seas,  when  his 
foot  touched  the  brigantine,  might  have  been  one  of  deep 
and  intense  gratitude.  He  was  silent,  and  seemingly  op 
pressed  at  the  throat.  Stepping  along  the  planks,  he  cast 
an  eye  aloft,  and  struck  his  hand  powerfully  on  the  cap 
stan,  in  a  manner  that  was  divided  between  convulsion  and 
affection.  Then  he  smiled  grimly  on  his  attentive  and 
obedient  crew,  speaking  with  his  wonted  cheerfulness  and 
authority  : 

"  Fill  away  the  topsail — brace  up  and  haul  aft !  Trim 
everything  flat  as  boards,  boys  ;  jam  "the  dear  huzzy  in  with 
the  coast ! " 


376  THE  WATER-WITCH. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

Beseech  you,  sirs,  were  you  present  at  this  relation  ? 

—  Winters  Tale. 

ON  the  following  morning  the  windows  of  the  Lust  in 
Rust  denoted  the  presence  of  its  owner.  There  was  an  air 
of  melancholy,  yet  of  happiness,  in  the  faces  of  many  who 
were  seen  about  the  buildings  and  the  grounds,  as  if  a  very 
great  good  had  been  accompanied  by  some  grave  and  qual 
ifying  circumstance  of  sorrow.  The  negroes  wore  an  air 
of  that  love  of  the  extraordinary  which  is  the  concomitant 
of  ignorance,  while  those  of  the  more  fortunate  resembled 
men  who  retained  a  recollection  of  serious  evils  that  were 
passed. 

In  the  private  apartment  of  the  burgher,  however,  an 
interview  took  place  which  w^as  characterized  by  an  air  of 
deep  concern.  The  parties  were  only  the  freetrader  and 
the  Alderman.  But  it  was  apparent,  in  the  look  of  each, 
that  they  met  like  men  who  had  interesting  and  serious 
matters  to  discuss.  Still,  one  accustomed  to  the  expres 
sions  of  the  human  countenance  might  have  seen  that 
while  the  former  was  about  to  introduce  topics  in  which 
his  feelings  were  powerfully  enlisted,  the  other  looked  to 
the  grosser  interests  of  his  commerce. 

"  My  minutes  are  counted,"  said  the  mariner,  stepping 
into  the  centre  of  the  room  and  facing  his  companion. 
"  That  which  is  to  be  said  must  be  said  briefly.  The  inlet 
can  only  be  passed  on  the  rising  water,  and  it  will  ill  con 
sult  your  opinions  of  prudence  were  I  to  tarry  till  the  hue 
and  cry  that  will  follow  the  intelligence  of  that  which  has 
lately  happened  in  the  offing  shall  be  heard  in  the  Prov 
ince." 

"  Spoken  with  a  rover's  discretion!  This  reserve  will 
perpetuate  friendship,  which  is  naught  weakened  by  your 
activity  in  our  late  uncomfortable  voyage  on  the  yards  and 
masts  of  Queen  Anne's  late  cruiser.  Well  !  I  wish  no  ill- 
luck  to  any  loyal  gentleman  in  her  Majesty's  service  ;  but 
it  is  a  thousand  pities  that  thou  wert  not  ready,  now  the 
coast  is  clear,  with  a  good  heavy  inward  cargo  !  The  last 
was  altogether  an  affair  of  secret  drawers  and  rich  laces  ; 
valuable  in  itself,  and  profitable  in  the  exchange  ;  but  the 


THE 

colony  is  sadly  in  want  of  certain  ai 
landed  at  leisure." 

"  I  come  on  other  matters.      There 
tions  between  us,  Alderman  Van  Beverout, 
understand." 

"  You  speak  of  a  small  mistake  in  the  last  invoice  ?  'Tis 
all  explained,  Master  Skimmer,  on  a  second  examination  ; 
and  thy  accuracy  is  as  well  established  as  that  of  the  Bank 
of  England." 

"  Established  or  not,  let  him  who  doubts  cease  to  deal. 
I  have  no  other  motto  than  '  Confidence,'  nor  any  other 
rule  but  'Justice.'  ' 

"  You  overrun  my  meaning,  friend  of  mine.  I  intimate 
no  suspicions  ;  but  accuracy  is  the  soul  of  commerce,  as 
profit  is  its  object.  Clear  accounts,  with  reasonable  bal 
ances,  are  the  surest  cements  of  business  intimacies.  A 
little  frankness  operates,  in  a  secret  trade,  like  equity  in  the 
courts  ;  which  re-establishes  the  justice  that  the  law  has 
destroyed.  What  is  thy  purpose  ?  " 

"It  is  now  many  years,  Alderman  Van  Beverout,  since 
this  secret  trade  was  commenced  between  you  and  my 
predecessor — he  whom  you  have  thought  my  father,  but 
who  only  claimed  that  revered  appellation  by  protecting 
the  helplessness  and  infancy  of  the  orphan  child  of  a 
friend." 

"  The  latter  circumstance  is  new  to  me,"  returned  the 
burgher,  slowly  bowing  his  head.  "  It  may  explain  certain 
levities  which  have  not  been  without  their  embarrassment. 
'Tis  five-and-twenty  years,  come  August,  Master  Skimmer, 
and  twelve  of  them  have  been  under  thy  auspices.  I  will 
not  say  that  the  adventures  might  not  have  been  better 
managed  ;  as  it  is,  they  are  tolerable.  I  am  getting  old, 
and  think  of  closing  the  risks  and  hazards  of  life — two  or 
three,  or,  at  the  most,  four  or  five  lucky  voyages,  must,  I 
think,  bring  a  final  settlement  between  us." 

"  Twill  be  made  sooner.  I  believe  the  history  of  my 
predecessor  was  no  secret  to  you.  The  manner  in  which 
he  was  driven  from  the  marine  of  the  Stuarts,  on  account 
of  his  opposition  to  tyranny  :  his  refuge  with  an  only 
daughter,  in  the  colonies  :  and  his  final  recourse  to  the 
free-trade  for  a  livelihood,  have  often  been  alluded  to  be 
tween  us." 

"  Hum — I  have  a  good  memory  for  business,  Master 
Skimmer,  but  I  am  as  forgetful  as  a  new-made  lord  of  his 


378  THE  WATER-WITCH. 

pedigree,  on  all  matters  that  should  be  overlooked.  I  dare 
say,  however,  it  was  as  you  have  stated." 

"  You  know,  that  when  my  protector  and  predecessor 
abandoned  the  land,  he  took  his  all  with  him  upon  the 
water." 

"  He  took  a  wholesome  and  good-going  schooner,  Mas 
ter  Skimmer,  with  an  assorted  freight  of  chosen  tobacco, 
well  ballasted  with  stones  off  the  sea-shore.  He  was  no 
foolish  admirer  of  sea-green  women  and  flaunting  brig- 
antines.  Often  did  the  royal  cruisers  mistake  the  worthy 
dealer  for  an  industrious  fisherman  !  " 

"  He  had  his  humors,  and  I  have  mine.  But  you  for 
got  a  part  of  the  freight  he  carried — a  part  that  was  not 
the  least  valuable." 

"  There  might  have  been  a  bale  of  martens' furs — for 
the  trade  was  just  getting  brisk  in  that  article." 

"There  was  a  beautiful,  an  innocent,  and  an  affectionate 
girl " 

The  Alderman  made  an  involuntary  movement,  which 
nearly  hid  his  countenance  from  his  companion. 

"  There  was,  indeed,  a  beautiful,  and  as  you  say,  a  most 
warm-hearted  girl,  in  the  concern  ! "  he  uttered,  in  a  voice 
that  was  subdued  and  hoarse.  "  She  died,  as  I  have  heard 
from  thyself,  Master  Skimmer,  in  the  Italian  seas.  I  never 
saw  the  father  after  the  last  visit  of  his  child  to  this  coast." 

"  She  did  die  among  the  islands  of  the  Mediterranean. 
But  the  void  she  left  in  all  the  hearts  who  knew  her,  was 
filled  in  time  by  her — daughter." 

The  Alderman  started  from  his  chair,  and  looking  the 
freetrader  intently  and  anxiously  in  the  face,  he  slowly  re 
peated  the  word — 

"  Daughter  !  " 

"  I  have  said  it.  Eudora  is  the  daughter  of  that  injured 
woman — need  I  say,  who  is  the  father  ? " 

The  burgher  groaned,  and  covering  his  face  with  his 
hands,  he  sank  back  into  his  chair,  shivering  convulsively. 

"  What  evidence  have  I  of  this  ?  "  he  at  length  muttered  ; 
"  Eudora  is  thy  sister  !  " 

The  answer  of  the  freetrader  was  accompanied  by  a 
melancholy  smile. 

"  You  have  been  deceived.  Save  the  brigantine,  my 
being  is  attached  to  nothing.  When  my  own  brave  father 
fell  by  the  side  of  him  who  protected  my  youth,  none  of 
my  blood  were  left.  I  loved  him  as  a  father,  and  he  called 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  379 

me  son,  while  Eudora  was  passed  upon  you  as  the  child 
of  a  second  marriage.  But  here  is  sufficient  evidence  of 
her  birth." 

The  Alderman  took  a  paper  which  his  companion  put 
gravely  into  his  hand,  and  his  eyes  ran  eagerly  over  its 
contents.  It  was  a  letter  to  himself  from  the  mother  of 
Eudora,  written  after  the  birth  of  the  latter,  and  with  the 
endearing  affection  of  a  woman.  The  love  between  the 
young  merchant  and  the  fair  daughter  of  his  secret  cor 
respondent  had  been  less  criminal  on  his  part  than  most 
similar  connections.  Nothing  but  the  peculiarity  of  their 
situation,  and  the  real  embarrassment  of  introducing  to 
the  world  one  whose  existence  was  unknown  to  his  friends, 
and  their  mutual  awe  of  the  unfortunate  but  still  proud 
parent,  had  prevented  a  legal  marriage.  The  simple  forms 
of  the  colony  were  easily  satisfied,  and  there  was  even  some 
reason  to  raise  a  question  whether  they  had  not  been  suf 
ficiently  consulted  to  render  the  offspring  legitimate.  As 
Myndert  Van  Beverout,  therefore,  read  the  epistle  of  her 
whom  he  had  once  so  truly  loved,  and  whose  loss  had,  in 
more  senses  than  one,  been  to  him  an  irreparable  misfor 
tune,  since  his  character  might  have  yielded  to  her  gentle 
and  healthful  influence,  his  limbs  trembled,  and  his  whole 
frame  betrayed  the  violence  of  extreme  agitation.  The 
language  of  the  dying  woman  was  kind  and  free  from  re 
proach,  but  was  solemn  and  admonitory.  She  communi 
cated  the  birth  of  their  child  ;  but  she  left  it  to  the  dispo 
sition  of  her  own  father,  while  she  apprised  the  author  of 
its  being  of  its  existence  ;  and  in  the  event  of  its  ever  be 
ing  consigned  to  his  care,  she  earnestly  recommended  it 
to  his  love.  The  close  was  a  leave-taking,  in  which  the 
lingering  affections  of  this  life  were  placed  in  mournful 
contrast  to  the  hopes  of  the  future. 

"  Why  has  this  so  long  been  hidden  from  me  ? "  de 
manded  the  agitated  merchant.  "  Why,  O  reckless  and 
fearless  man  !  have  I  been  permitted  to  expose  the  frail 
ties  of  nature  to  my  own  child  ?" 

The  smile  of  the  freetrader  was  bitter  and  proud. 

"  Mr.  Van  Beverout,  we  are  no  dealers  of  the  short  voy 
age.  Our  trade  is  the  concern  of  life  ;  our  world,  the 
Water-Witch.  As  we  have  so  little  of  the  interests  of  the 
land,  our  philosophy  is  above  its  weaknesses.  The  birth 
of  Eudora  was  concealed  from  you  at  the  will  of  her  grand 
father.  It  might  have  been  resentment — it  might  have 


380  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

been  pride.  Had  it  been  affection,  the  girl  has  that  to 
justify  the  fraud." 

"And  Eudora,  herself?  Does  she — or  has  she  long 
known  the  truth  ?  " 

"  But  lately.  Since  the  death  of  our  common  friend  the 
girl  has  been  solely  dependent  on  me  for  counsel  and  pro 
tection.  It  is  now  a  year  since  she  first  learned  she  was 
not  my  sister.  Until  then,  like  you,  she  supposed  us 
equally  derived  from  one  who  was  the  parent  of  neither. 
Necessity  has  compelled  me  of  late  to  keep  her  much  in 
the  brigantine." 

"The  retribution  is  righteous!"  groaned  the  Alderman. 
"  I  am  punished  for  my  pusillanimity  in  the  degradation 
of  my  own  child  !  " 

The  step  of  the  freetrader,  as  he  advanced  nearer  to  his 
companion,  was  full  of  dignity,  and  his  keen  eye  glowed 
with  the  resentment  of  an  offended  man. 

"Alderman  Van  Beverout,"  he  said,  with  a  stern  rebuke 
in  his  voice,  "  you  receive  your  daughter,  stainless  as  was 
her  unfortunate  mother,  when  necessity  compelled  him 
whose  being  was  wrapped  up  in  hers  to  trust  her  beneath 
your  roof.  We  of  the  contraband  have  our  own  opinions 
of  right  and  wrong ;  and  my  gratitude,  no  less  than  my 
principles,  teaches  me  that  the  descendant  of  my  benefac 
tor  is  to  be  protected,  not  injured.  Had  I,  in  truth,  been 
the  brother  of  Eudora,  language  and  conduct  more  inno 
cent  could  not  have  been  shown  her,  than  that  she  has 
both  heard  and  witnessed  while  guarded  by  my  care." 

"  From  my  soul,  I  thank  thee  ! "  burst  from  the  lips  of 
the  Alderman.  "  The  girl  shall  be  acknowledged  ;  and  with 
such  a  dowry  as  I  can  give,  she  may  yet  hope  for  a  suitable 
and  honorable  marriage." 

"  Thou  mayst  bestow  her  on  thy  favorite  Patroon,"  re 
turned  the  Skimmer,  with  a  calm  but  sad  eye.  "  She  is 
more  than  worthy  of  all  he  can  return.  The  man  is  willing 
to  take  her,  for  he  is  not  ignorant  of  her  sex  and  history. 
That  much  I  thought  due  to  Eudora  herself,  when  fortune 
placed  the  young  man  in  my  power." 

"Thou  art  only  too  honest  for  this  wicked  world,  Master 
Skimmer  !  Let  me  see  the  loving  pair,  and  bestow  my 
blessing  on  the  instant !  " 

The  freetrader  turned  slowly  away,  and,  opening  a  door, 
he  motioned  for  those  within  to  enter.  Alida  instantly  en 
tered,  leading  the  counterfeit  Seadrift,  clad  in  the  proper 


THE   IVATER-IVITCH.  381 

attire  of  her  sex.  Although  the  burgher  had  often  seen  the 
supposed  sister  of  the  Skimmer  in  her  female  habiliments, 
she  never  before  had  struck  him  as  being  of  so  rare  beauty 
as  at  that  moment.  The  silken  whiskers  had  been  removed 
and  in  their  places  were  burning  cheeks,  that  were  rather 
enriched  than  discolored  by  the  warm  touches  of  the  sun. 
The  dark  glossy  ringlets,  that  were  no  longer  artfully  con 
verted  to  the  purposes  of  a  masquerade,  fell  naturally  in 
curls  about  the  temples  and  brows,  shading  a  countenance 
wThich  in  general  was  playfully  arch,  though  at  that  mo 
ment  it  was  shadowed  by  reflection  and  feeling.  It  is  sel 
dom  that  two  such  beings  are  seen  together,  as  those  who 
now  knelt  at  the  feet  of  the  merchant.  In  the  breast  of  the 
latter  the  accustomed  and  lasting  love  of  the  uncle  and  pro 
tector  appeared,  for  an  instant,  to  struggle  with  the  new 
born  affection  of  a  parent.  Nature  was  too  strong  for  even 
his  blunted  and  perverted  sentiments  ;  and  calling  his  child 
aloud  by  name,  the  selfish  and  calculating  Alderman  sank 
upon  the  neck  of  Eudora  and  wept.  It  would  have  been 
difficult  to  trace  the  emotions  of  the  stern  but  observant 
freetrader,  as  he  watched  the  progress  of  this  scene. 
Distrust,  uneasiness,  and  finally,  melancholy,  were  in  his 
eye.  With  the  latter  expression  predominant,  he  quitted 
the  room,  like  one  who  felt  a  stranger  had  no  right  to  wit 
ness  emotions  so  sacred. 

Two  hours  later,  and  the  principal  personages  of  the 
narrative  were  assembled  on  the  margin  of  the  Cove, 
beneath  the  shade  of  an  oak  that  seemed  coeval  with  the  con 
tinent.  The  brigantine  was  aweigh  ;  and,  under  a  light  show 
of  canvas,  she  was  making  easy  stretches  in  the  little  basin, 
resembling,  by  the  ease  and  grace  of  her  movements,  some 
beautiful  swan  sailing  up  and  down  in  the  enjoyment  of  its 
instinct.  A  boat  had  just  touched  the  shore,  and  the  Skim 
mer  of  the  Seas  stood  near,  stretching  out  a  hand  to  aid  the 
boy  Zephyr  to  land. 

"  We  subjects  of  the  elements  are  slaves  to  superstition," 
he  said,  when  the  light  foot  of  the  child  touched  the  ground. 
"  It  is  the  consequence  of  lives  which  ceaselessly  present 
dangers  superior  to  our  powers.  For  many  years  have  I 
believed  that  some  great  good,  or  some  greater  evil,  would 
accompany  the  first  visit  of  this  boy  to  the  land.  For  the 
first  time  his  foot  now  stands  on  solid  earth.  I  await  the 
fulfilment  of  the  augury." 

"  It  will  be  happy,"  returned  Ludlow  ;  "  Alida  and  Eudora 


382  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

will  instruct  him  in  the  opinions  of  this  simple  and  for 
tunate  country,  and  he  seemeth  one  likely  to  do  early 
credit  to  his  schooling." 

"  I  fear  the  boy  will  regret  the  lessons  of  the  sea-green 
lady  !  Captain  Ludlow,  there  is  yet  a  duty  to  perform, 
which,  as  a  man  of  more  feeling  than  you  may  be  disposed 
to  acknowledge,  I  cannot  neglect.  I  have  understood  that 
you  are  accepted  by  la  belle  Barberie  ? " 

"Such  is  my  happiness." 

"  Sir,  in  dispensing  with  explanation  of  the  past,  you 
have  shown  a  noble  confidence,  that  merits  a  return.  When 
I  came  upon  this  coast,  it  \vas  with  the  determination  of 
establishing  the  claims  of  Eudora  to  the  protection  and 
fortune  of  her  father.  If  I  had  mistrusted  the  influence 
and  hostility  of  one  so  placed,  and  so  gifted  to  persuade 
as  this  lady,  you  will  remember  it  was  before  acquaintance 
had  enabled  me  to  estimate  more  than  her  beauty.  She 
was  seized  in  her  pavilion  by  my  agency,  and  transported 
as  a  captive  to  the  brigantine." 

"  I  had  believed  her  acquainted  wTith  the  history  of  her 
cousin,  and  willing  to  aid  in  some  fantasy  which  was  to 
lead  to  the  present  happy  restoration  of  the  latter  to  her 
natural  friends." 

"  You  did  her  disinterestedness  no  more  than  justice.  As 
some  atonement  for  the  personal  wrong,  and  as  the  speediest 
and  surest  means  of  appeasing  her  alarm,  I  made  my  cap 
tive  acquainted  writh  the  facts.  Eudora  then  heard,  also 
for  the  first  time,  the  history  of  her  origin.  The  evidence 
wras  irresistible,  and  we  found  a  devoted  friend  where  we 
had  expected  a  rival." 

"  I  knew  that  Alida  could  not  prove  less  generous  ! " 
cried  the  admiring  Ludlow,  raising  the  hand  of  the  blush 
ing  girl  to  his  lips.  "  The  loss  of  fortune  is  a  gain,  by 
showing  her  true  character  !  " 

"  Hist — hist !  "  interrupted  the  Alderman  ;  "  there  is  little 
need  to  proclaim  a  loss  of  any  kind.  What  must  be  done 
in  the  way  of  natural  justice,  will  doubtless  be  submitted 
to  ;  but  why  let  all  in  the  colony  know  how  much  or  how 
little  is  given  with  a  bride  ?  " 

"  The  loss  of  fortune  will  be  amply  met,"  returned  the 
freetrader.  "  These  bags  contain  gold.  The  dowry  of  my 
charge  is  ready  at  a  moment's  warning,  whenever  she  shall 
make  known  her  choice." 

"  Success    and    prudence  ! "    exclaimed     the     burgher. 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  383 

"  There  is  no  less  than  a  most  commendable  forethought 
in  thy  provision,  Master  Skimmer  ;  and  whatever  may  be 
the  opinion  of  the  Exchequer  Judges  of  thy  punctuality 
and  credit,  it  is  miije  that  there  are  less  responsible  men 
about  the  Bank  of  England  itself !  This  money  is,  no 
doubt,  that  which  the  girl  can  lawfully  claim  in  right  of 
her  late  grandfather  !  " 

"  It  is." 

"  I  take  this  to  be  a  favorable  moment  to  speak  plainly 
on  a  subject  which  is  very  near  my  heart,  and  which  may 
as  well  be  broached  under  such  favorable  auspices  as 
under  any  other.  I  understand,  Mr.  Van  Staats,  that,  on 
a  farther  examination  of  your  sentiments  toward  an  old 
friend,  you  are  of  opinion  that  a  closer  alliance  than  the  one 
we  had  contemplated  will  most  conduce  to  your  happiness  ?" 

"  I  will  acknowledge  that  the  coldness  of  la  belle  Bar- 
berie  has  damped  my  own  warmth,"  returned  the  Patroon 
of  Kinderhook,  who  rarely  delivered  himself  of  more,  at  a 
time,  than  the  occasion  required. 

"  And,  furthermore,  I  have  been  told,  sir,  that  an  inti 
macy  of  a  fortnight  has  given  you  reason  to  fix  your  affec 
tions  on  my  daughter,  whose  beauty  is  hereditary,  and 
whose  fortune  is  not  likely  to  be  diminished  by  this  act  of 
justice  on  the  part  of  that  upright  and  gallant  mariner." 

"  To  be  received  into  the  favor  of  your  family,  Mr.  Van 
Beverout,  would  leave  me  little  to  desire  in  this  life." 

"  And  as  for  the  other  world,  I  never  heard  of  a  Patroon 
of  Kinderhook  who  did  not  leave  us  with  some  comforta 
ble  hopes  for  the  future  ;  as  in  reason  they  should,  since 
few  families  in  the  colonies  have  done  more  for  the  sup 
port  of  religion  than  they.  They  gave  largely  to  the  Dutch 
churches  in  Manhattan  ;  they  have  actually  built,  \vith  their 
own  means,  three  very  pretty  brick  edifices  on  the  Manor, 
each  having  its  Flemish  steeple  and  suitable  weathercocks, 
besides  having  done  something  handsome  toward  the  ven 
erable  structure  in  Albany.  Eudora,  my  child,  this  gentle 
man  is  a  particular  friend,  and  as  such  I  can  presume  to 
recommend  him  to  thy  favor.  You  are  not  absolutely 
strangers  ;  but,  in  order  that  you  may  have  every  occasion 
to  decide  impartially,  you  will  remain  here  together  for  a 
month  longer,  which  will  enable  you  to  choose  without  dis 
traction  and  confusion.  More  than  this,  for  the  present,  it 
is  unnecessary  to  say ;  for  it  is  my  practice  to  leave  all  mat 
ters  of  this  magnitude  entirely  to  Providence." 


384  THE   WATER-WITCH. 

The  daughter,  on  whose  speaking  face  the  color  went 
and  came,  like  lights  changing  in  an  Italian  sky,  continued 
silent. 

"  You  have  happily  put  aside  the  curtain  which  concealed 
a  mystery  that  no  longer  gave  me  uneasiness,"  interrupted 
Ludlow,  addressing  the  freetrader.  "Can  you  do  more, 
and  say  whence  came  this  letter  ?  " 

The  dark  eye  of  Eudora  instantly  lighted.  She  looked 
at  the  Skimmer  of  the  Seas,  and  laughed. 

"  'Twas  another  of  those  womanly  artifices  which  have 
been  practised  in  my  brigantine.  It  was  thought  that  a 
young  commander  of  a  royal  cruiser  would  be  less  apt  to 
watch  our  movements,  were  his  mind  bent  on  the  discovery 
of  such  a  correspondent." 

"  And  the  trick  has  been  practised  before  ? " 

"I  confess  it.  But  I  can  linger  no  longer.  In  a  few 
minutes,  the  tide  will  turn,  and  the  inlet  become  impassable. 
Eudora,  we  must  decide  on  the  fortunes  of  this  child. 
Shall  he  to  the  ocean  again  ? — or  shall  he  remain,  to  vary 
his  life  with  a  landsman's  chances?'' 

"  Who  and  what  is  the  boy  ? "  gravely  demanded  the  Al 
derman. 

"  One  dear  to  both,"  rejoined  the  freetrader.  "  His  father 
was  my  nearest  friend,  and  his  mother  long  watched  the 
youth  of  Eudora.  Until  this  moment,  he  has  been  our 
mutual  care  ;  he  must  now  choose  between  us." 

"  He  will  not  quit  me  ! "  hastily  interrupted  the  alarmed 
Eudora  ;  "  thou  art  my  adopted  son,  and  none  can  guide 
thy  young  mind  like  me.  Thou  hast  need  of  woman's  ten 
derness,  Zephyr,  and  wilt  not  quit  me  ?  " 

"  Let  the  child  be  the  arbiter  of  his  own  fate.  I  am  cred 
ulous  on  the  point  of  fortune,  which  is,  at  least,  a  happy 
belief  for  the  contraband." 

"  Then  let  him  speak.  Wilt  remain  here,  amid  these 
smiling  fields,  to  ramble  among  yonder  gay  and  sweetly- 
scented  flowers  ? — or  wilt  thou  back  to  the  water,  where  all 
is  vacant  and  without  change  ? " 

The  boy  looked  wistfully  into  her  anxious  eye,  then  he 
bent  his  own  hesitating  glance  on  the  calm  features  of  the 
freetrader. 

"We  can  put  to  sea,"  he  said  ;  "  and  when  we  make  the 
homeward  passage  again,  there  will  be  many  curious  things 
for  thee,  Eudora  !  " 

"  But  this  may  be  the  last  opportunity  to  know  the  land 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  385 

of  thy  ancestors.  Remember  how  terrible  is  the  ocean  in 
its  anger,  and  how  often  the  brigantine  has  been  in  danger 
of  shipwreck  !  " 

"  Nay,  that  is  womanish  !  I  have  been  on  the  royal-yard 
in  the  squalls,  and  it  never  seemed  to  me  that  there  was 
danger." 

"  Thou  hast  the  unconsciousness  and  reliance  of  a  ship- 
boy  !  But  those  who  are  older  know  that  the  life  of  a 
sailor  is  one  of  constant  and  imminent  hazard.  Thou  hast 
been  among  the  islands  in  the  hurricane,  and  seen  the 
power  of  the  elements  !  " 

"  I  was  in  the  hurricane,  and  so  was  the  brigantine  ;  and 
there  you  see  how  taut  and  neat  she  is  aloft,  as  if  nothing 
had  happened  !  " 

"And  you  saw  us  yesterday  floating  on  the  open  sea, 
while  a  few  ill-fastened  spars  kept  us  from  going  into  its 
depths!" 

"  The  spars  floated,  and  you  were  not  drowned  ;  else  I 
should  have  wept  bitterly,  Eudora." 

"  But  thouwilt  go  deeper  into  the  country,  and  see  more 
of  its  beauties — its  rivers  and  its  mountains — its  caverns 
and  its  woods.  Here  all  is  change,  while  the  water  is  ever 
the  same." 

"  Surely,  Eudora,  you  forget  strangely  !  Here  it  is  all 
America.  This  mountain  is  America  ;  yonder  land  across 
the  bay  is  America,  and  the  anchorage  of  yesterday  was 
America.  When  we  shall  run  off  the  coast,  next  land-fall 
will  be  England,  or  Holland,  or  Africa  ;  and  with  a  good 
wind,  we  may  run  down  the  shore  of  two  or  three  coun 
tries  in  a  day." 

"  And  on  them,  too,  thoughtless  boy  !  If  you  lose  this 
occasion,  thy  life  will  be  wedded  to  hazard  ! " 

"  Farewell,  Eudora  !  "  said  the  urchin,  raising  his  mouth 
to  give  and  receive  the  parting  kiss. 

"  Eudora,  adieu  !  "  added  a  deep  and  melancholy  voice 
at  her  elbow.  "  I  can  delay  no  longer,  for  my  people  show 
symptoms  of  impatience.  Should  this  be  the  last  of  my 
voyages  to  the  coast,  thou  wilt  not  forget  those  with  whom 
thou  hast  so  long  shared  good  and  evil ! " 

"  Not  yet — not  yet — you  will  not  quit  us  yet !  Leave 
me  the  boy — leave  me  some  other  memorial  of  the  past 
besides  this  pain ! " 

"  My  hour  has  come.  The  wind  is  freshening,  and  I 
trifle  with  its  favor.  'Twill  be  better  for  thy  happiness 

25 


386  THE  WATER-WITCH. 

that  none  know  the  history  of  the  brigantine  ;  a  few  hours 
will  draw  a  hundred  curious  eyes  from  the  town  upon  us." 

"What  care  I  for  their  opinions? — thou  wilt  not — can 
not — leave  me  yet ! " 

"Gladly  would  I  stay,  Eudora,  but  a  seaman's  home  is 
his  ship.  Too  much  precious  time  is  already  wasted.  Once 
more,  adieu  ! " 

The  dark  eye  of  the  girl  glanced  wildly  about  her.  It 
seemed,  as  if  in  that  one  quick  and  hurried  look,  it  drank 
in  all  that  belonged  to  the  land  and  its  enjoyments. 

"  Whither  go  you  ?  "  she  asked,  scarce  suffering  her  voice 
to  rise  above  a  whisper.  "  Whither  do  you  sail,  and  when 
do  you  return  ?" 

"  I  follow  fortune.  My  return  may  be  distant — never  ! 
Adieu,  then,  Eudora — be  happy  with  the  friends  that 
Providence  hath  given  thee !  " 

The  wandering  eyes  of  the  girl  of  the  sea  became  still 
more  unsettled.  She  grasped  the  hand  of  the  freetrader 
in  both  her  own,  and  wrung  it  in  an  impassioned  and  un 
conscious  manner.  Then  releasing  her  hold,  she  opened 
wide  her  arms,  and  cast  them  convulsively  about  his  un 
moved  and  unyielding  form. 

"  We  will  go  together  !     I  am  thine,  and  thine  only  !  " 

"  Thou  knowest  not  what  thou  sayest,  Eudora !  "  gasped 
the  Skimmer.  "  Thou  hast  a  father — friend — husband — " 

"  Away,  away!"  cried  the  frantic  girl,  waving  her  hand 
wildly  toward  Alida  and  the  Patroon,  who  advanced  as  if 
hurrying  to  rescue  her  from  a  precipice.  u  Thine,  and  thine 
only!" 

The  smuggler  released  himself  from  her  frenzied  grasp, 
and,  with  the  strength  of  a  giant,  he  held  the  struggling 
girl  at  the  length  of  his  arm,  while  he  endeavored  to  con 
trol  the  tempest  of  passion  that  struggled  within  him. 

"Think,  for  one  moment,  think!"  he  said.  "Thou 
wouldst  follow  an  outcast — an  outlaw — one  hunted  and 
condemned  of  men  ! " 

"  Thine,  and  thine  only  ! " 

"  With  a  ship  for  a  dwelling — the  tempestuous  ocean  for 
a  world  ! " 

"Thy  world  is  my  world! — thy  home  my  home — thy 
danger,  mine  ! " 

The  shout  which  burst  out  of  the  chest  of  the  Skimmer 
of  the  Seas  was  one  of  uncontrollable  exultation. 

"  Thou  art  mine  !  "  he  cried.    "  Before  a  tie  like  this,  the 


THE   WATER-WITCH.  387 

claim  of  a  father  is  forgotten  !  Burgher,  adieu !  I  will 
deal  by  thy  daughter  more  honestly  than  thou  didst  deal 
by  my  benefactor's  child  ! " 

Eudora  was  lifted  from  the  ground  as  if  her  weight  had 
been  that  of  a  feather  ;  and,  spite  of  a  sudden  and  impet 
uous  movement  of  Ludlow  and  the  Patroon,  she  was  borne 
to  the  boat.  In  a  moment  the  bark  was  afloat,  with  the 
gallant  boy  tossing  his  sea-cap  upward  in  triumph.  The 
brigantine,  as  if  conscious  of  what  had  passed,  wore  round 
like  a  whirling  chariot ;  and,  ere  the  spectators  had  recov 
ered  from  their  confusion  and  wonder,  the  boat  was  hang 
ing  at  the  tackles.  The  freetrader  was  seen  on  the  poop, 
with  an  arm  cast  about  the  form  of  Eudora,  waving  a  hand 
to  the  motionless  group  on  the  shore,  while  the  still  half- 
unconscious  girl  of  the  ocean  sighed  her  faint  adieus  to 
Alida  and  her  father.  The  vessel  glided  through  the  inlet, 
and  was  immediately  rocking  on  the  billows  of  the  surf. 
Then,  taking  the  full  weight  of  the  southern  breeze,  the 
fine  and  attenuated  spars  bent  to  its  force,  and  the  progress 
of  the  swift-moving  craft  was  apparent  by  the  bubbling 
line  of  its  wake. 

The  day  had  begun  to  decline  before  Alida  and  Ludlow 
quitted  the  lawn  of  the  Lust  in  Rust.  For  the  first  hour, 
the  dark  hull  of  the  brigantine  was  seen  supporting  the 
moving  cloud  of  canvas.  Then  the  low  structure  vanished, 
and  sail  after  sail  settled  into  the  water,  until  nothing  was 
visible  but  a  speck  of  glittering  white.  It  lingered  for  a 
minute,  and  was  swallowed  in  the  void. 

The  nuptials  of  Ludlow  and  Alida  were  touched  with  a 
shade  of  melancholy.  Natural  affection  in  one,  and  pro 
fessional  sympathy  in  the  other,  had  given  them  a  deep 
and  lasting  interest  in  the  fate  of  the  adventurers. 

Years  passed  away,  and  months  were  spent  at  the  villa, 
in  which  a  thousand  anxious  looks  were  cast  upon  the 
ocean.  Each  morning,  during  the  early  months  of  sum 
mer,  did  Alida  hasten  to  the  windows  of  her  pavilion,  in 
the  hope  of  seeing  the  vessel  of  the  contraband  anchored 
in  the  Cove;  but  always  without  success.  It  never  re 
turned  ;  and  though  the  rebuked  and  disappointed  Alder 
man  caused  many  secret  inquiries  to  be  made  along  the 
whole  extent  of  the  American  coast,  he  never  again  heard 
of  the  renowned  SKIMMER  OF  THE  SEAS,  or  of  his  matchless 
WATER-WITCH. 

*  THE   END. 


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MAR  231941 


LD  21-100m-7,'39(402s 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


